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CORNELL 

UNIVERSITY 

LIBRARY 




THE 
WORDSWORTH COLLECTION 

FOUNDED BY 
CYNTHIA MORGAN ST. JOHN 

THE GIFT OF 
VICTOR EMANUEL 

OF THE CLASS OF I919 




Lord de Dunstanville. 
By Gainsborough. 



\_Fronlispiece. 



THE FARINGTON 


DIARY 


BY 




JOSEPH FARINGTON, 


R.A. 


EDITED BY 

JAMESGREIG 

AUTHOR OF 

A "Life of Thomas Gainsborough," and a "Life of Sir 


Henry Raeburn " 


VOL. VI. 




(JANUARY 13, 1810, TO JUNE 9, 1 


811) 


With Frontispieee and twelve other illustrations 


NEW YORK: 
GEORGE H. DORAN COMPANY 






VOL. I. 

First edition published December ^ 1922 
Second „ „ „ 1922 

Third „ „ February y 1923 

VOL. II. 

First edition published August^ 1923 

VOL. III. 

First edition published March, 1924 

VOL. IV. 

First edition published November, 1924 

VOL. V. 
First edition published September, 1925 

VOL. VI. 

First edition published May, 1926 



Printed in Great Britain 



INTRODUCTION 

The first chapter of the sixth volume of Farington's Diary begins with 
strong beer brewed by the twelve biggest houses between July 5th, 
1809, and January 5th, 1810. Meux, Reid and Co. produced 100,222 
barrels, the largest quantity ever brewed up to that period in any one 
brewery. In a footnote I give the comparative number of barrels con- 
sumed by the British public in 191 3 and 1922, with the respective profits. 
The difference in quantity and profit is extraordinary, as shown by the 
figures, which were copied from the Star newspaper. 

Troubles in our dependencies and the Napoleonic wars are disturbing 
England and Europe. On January 29th we read of a rebellion in India, 
one of the causes being the Government refusal to allow officers of the 
native corps to supply tents for their men, the " profit of which was abt. 
twenty pounds a month." Insubordination is reported from Canada. 
General Sir James Craig, Commander-in-Chief, issued an order strongly 
disapproving of the conduct of the sergeants of the first battalion of the 
Royal Fusiliers and condemning the part played by Colonel (afterwards 
Sir E.) Pakenham. 

On February i6th a pension of ^£2,000 was voted to Wellington 
and his two next succeeding heirs. William Wilberforce and Windham 
opposed the vote, and Wellesley Pole made a statement about his Lord- 
ship's prize-money and other sources of income. Napoleon was still 
paramount in Italy, but in the Peninsula his Generals were meeting with 
a stubborn defence. Charles Long, afterwards Lord Farnborough, says 
on June 20th, 1810 : " If Buonaparte could have foreseen the resistance 
He wd. meet with in Spain He never wd. have attempted the sub- 
jugation of that country." Victory on the Mondego River is recorded 
on October 17th, and Wellington praises the Portuguese troops, saying : 
" They have proved that they are worthy of contending in the same 
ranks with British troops." 

Later, on December 3rd, it is reported that the French, under Massena, 
are fleeing into Spain with the English in pursuit of them. Earlier, on 
November 19th, at a sitting of the Spanish Cortes, Sehor Perez de Castro 
eulogized George HI. for British help and proposed that a public monu- 
ment should be erected to him " as well as for the invincible English 
nation." Not long thereafter Soult was driven from Oporto, and on 
March 25th " there was a good deal of conversation respecting the 



vi Introduction 

engagement in Spain, near Cadiz, between the English under Lieut.- 
General Graham and the French under Marshall Victor." Lord Mul- 
grave said that had the Spanish Army under General Penas " co-operated 
fully with General Graham, Victor's Army would have been annihilated 
as an army." It was thought, however, that Napoleon would ultimately 
conquer the whole of the Continent to the boundaries of Russia, but, 
even in that event, Charles Offley, the wine merchant, thought that 
" Buonaparte could not conquer England, which, by the resolution 
and valour of the people, might still remain a free & independent 
country." 

While war was raging abroad there were great failures in the City, 
caused, in great measure, by " extravagant commercial speculations to 
South America, and also to Spain." Goldsmid's power in the City in 
commanding money is spoken of : " He is said to have five millions, 
the property of rich Jews & others." It was also believed that many of 
the bankruptcies were " the consequence of a great number of persons 
who had, by paper credit, lived expensively witht. having real property, 
& that probably what has happened may do good in weeding commerce 
of this description of persons." 

There were other troubles at home, arising out of the commitment 
of Sir Francis Burdett. One clergyman, preaching in St. Margaret's, 
Westminster, declared that " the bloody banner of sedition was unfurled, 
& that it was the bounden duty of those who have the power to prevent 
the mischief it might cause, by a vigorous exertion against it, & that 
mercy to those who excite disturbance & commit violence is an injury 
to Society." 

Sailors and ships are not forgotten. Naval skirmishes are announced 
from India on December 13th, 1 810, in which British merchantmen 
were captured by the French and retaken. There is talk of Napoleon's 
design to invade England. Lord Gardner 

sd. though He had all the Ports on the Continent & might build ships yet Buonaparte 
could not make sailors, adding, " Sailors cannot be made by working on Canals, or by close 
coasting," and added, that He did not fear any number of ships manned with men so 
formed to be sailors. 

On July 17th Farington's nephew William was " at Deptford and 
saw the launch of the Queen Charlotte, 120 guns, the largest ship ever 
built in the river Thames at Deptford," and in Chapter XXVIII. we 
read of great shipbuilders. 

In spite of the long wars abroad and unrest at home, Mr. Jacks, 
a Common Councillor, in reviewing on Wednesday, October 31st, 18 10, 
our national development under the reign of George III., declared that 

" it appeared undeniable that the country had increased in prosperity in ratio that 
almost dazzled the mind by its magnitude ; but perhaps it will be said this has been effected 
by the energies of a great & free people, this to a great extent He wd. admit, but history 
in all ages had evinced that much also depended upon the personal character of the reigning 



Introduction vii 

Prince & He thought it wd. not be acting by the Character of George the Third, as He wd. 
do by that of a private individual, if He were to deny him, who is at the head of the great 
poHtical machine, a considerable portion of political wisdom and ability as well as of private 
virtues." 

The statement made by Mr. Jacks in the Common Council shewing the advantage 
derived from the wisdom of the government of this country & from the free & happy state 
of the people, cannot be more strongly contrasted than by the following extract from the 
Paris papers lately reed, up to Octr. 30th, 18 10. They contain a furious decree of Buona- 
parte, not only ordering all the British manufactures and Colonial produce which may be 
found in France or in the Countries under his influence and controul to be seized and 
burnt but also directing the punishment of those who introduce them, by branding on the 
forehead zvith the letters V D. and by imprisonment for ten years to hard labour. 

Serjeant George Heath, a son of James Heath, the famous engraver, 
went to Paris in the autumn of 1810 with sentiments favourable to 
Buonaparte, but came back with a wholly different opinion of him. 
The effect of his tyranny was " great beyond all former example." He 
was universally detested and nothing preserved him but the dread of 
another revolution. When he went to the opera or to the playhouse, 
the mass of the people were quite silent, although a small claque in 
a corner made " a slight clamour of applause." He was " a little fat 
man, with what is called a pot-belly, — with a sallow, greasy-looking 
countenance like that of a butcher." 

Compare this description with Farington's portrait of Napoleon 
in Volume H. Heath said that the Empress Josephine was plain in 
her person, but " easy & good humoured with those about her." 

The King and the Royal Family, as hitherto in the Diary, are 
prominent in this volume. On February 24th, the proprietor and printer 
of the Morning Chronicle were indicted at the Court of King's Bench 
for a libel against his Majesty, in so far that the journal mentioned 
had copied from the Examiner the following comments : 

" What a crowd of ideas rush on one's mind, from considering the numberless blessings 
which a total change in the present system might produce. Of all our Monarch's, indeed, 
since the Revolution, the Successor of George 3d. will have the finest opportunity of be- 
coming nobly popular." In other words the Attorney-General said, there was no prospect 
of those numberless blessings being attainable during the reign of his present Majesty. 
It was sufficient to read the libel to be satisfied of its dangerous tendency. Lord Ellen- 
borough summed up favourably for the Defendants & the Jury immediately found the 
Defendants not guilty. 

The pathetic story of the Princess Amelia is told, Benjamin West 
says that the Prince of Wales " is grown enormously large ; a figure 
like Henry VHL," and Thomas Phillips, R.A., declares : " He is influenced 
by caprice. . . . The person who last spoke to him makes an apparent 
impression, but it is gone when another person or subject comes before 
him, & His Taylor, or Bootmaker will occupy his mind to the doing 
away [with] any other consideration to which His attention might 
be drawn." 

On the contrary, the Prince made a " very strong impression " at the 



viii Introduction 

Royal Academy banquet on April 27th, 18 10. In a speech which the 
Prince " deHvered in a manly and gracious manner," he expressed 

the pride & satisfaction He felt as an Englishman while sitting in that room wherein 
He saw exhibited works of art which wd. have done Honor to any country ; Portraits 
which might vie with the pictures of Vandyke, — Landscapes which Claude would have 
admired ; and pictures & works of equal excellence in other branches of art. When He 
saw so much which manifested the great improvement in art He felt proud as an Englishman 
that He might with confidence expect that as this country had risen superior to all others 
in Arms, in mihtary & naval prowess, so would it in Arts. — Others, He sd. might be more 
able to judge of the excellence of works of art, but could not exceed him in his love of the 
arts or in wishes for their prosperity. 

Art, of course, occupies a considerable amount of space. Record is 
made of the death of Hoppner, Ozias Humphry, and Sir Francis Bour- 
geois, who founded the Dulwich Art Gallery. A quaint comment by 
Farington may be given. Middiman the engraver called on him and 
they talked of old times ; they had known each other since 1767. " He 
complimented me," says the Diarist, " on the appearance I formerly bore, 
saying, I was the handsomest man he had seen, & my person corresponded 
in good form with my countenance. Thus did He speak of the living 
Old Man as He wd. have done of a deceased person, & I listened to His 
speaking as of one who was passed & gone. To this does age bring us." 
Reference is made to Wilkie's good sense and Haydon's state of 
mind ; to Sir Joshua Reynolds' curious conversation with the 
Duke of Devonshire, Hoppner's scholarship, the prices charged by 
Sir Thomas Lawrence, and Humphry's sole anxiety on the night before 
he died. " He told His nephew that He had not long to live, & 
requested that as soon as He shd. be dead He wd. go or write to 
Mr. Taylor of the Sun office, and inform Him of it, adding that He 
knew Mr. Taylor wd. not let Him go out of the world witht 
giving some notice of Him to the pubhc. Accordingly Taylor reed, the 
information & wrote a favourable acct. of Him. Such," Farington dryly 
remarks, " was Humphry's anxiety to be held up as a Character in 
Society." 

Nash, of Regent Street fame, is mentioned as putting " himself very 
forward as having had much to do in forming plans for improvements 
in the Marybone District." 

John Constable, then thirty-seven years of age, was advised by Faring- 
ton to " put down his name as a candidate to be an Associate . . . that 
however uncertain it may be whether he would succeed or not at present, 
it would keep Him in the minds of the Members " of the Academy. Some 
days later he told the Diarist that were " He to be elected an Associate 
of the Academy it would have a great effect upon His Father's mind 
by causing Him to consider His situation more substantial," instead of 
as at present considering that he in following painting was " pursuing 
a shadow." 

In the following April Constable was still uneasy about his position. 



Introduction ix 

His " View near Dedham, Essex," was hung very low in the ante-room 
of the Royal Academy, which he regarded as a proof that " He had 
fallen in the opinion of the Members of the Academy. — I encouraged him 
& told Him Lawrence had twice noticed His picture with approbation." 
But in spite of this praise Constable was defeated at the next election, 
and, indeed, was not made an Associate of the Academy until seven 
years later. Turner's caution with regard to the sale of his pictures 
and the high prices he charged for them, are noted, and Sir George 
Beaumont's continued cry against Turner's art is spoken of. Sir George 
" acknowledged that Turner had merit, but it was of the wrong sort, 
& therefore on acct. of the seductive skill displayed shd. be objected 
to, to prevent its bad effects in inducing others to imitate it." But 
Turner " was too strong " to be materially hurt by Sir George's opposition. 

Eminent politicians are recalled, including Pitt, Lord Melville, Canning 
and William Windham. 

The story is related of Windham's attack on the parliamentary 
reporters and the result, which made him ridiculous. Although he 
was always anxious for the advertisement they usually gave him, " they 
no longer notice his speeches . , . when Windham rises now to speak 
all the reporters strike work." The cause of the trouble was told in 
the Morning Post on March loth, 1810, in which journal the regular 
reporting of his speeches was not again begun until May 8th — he died 
on June 4th of that year. 

Caleb Whitefoord, wit, diplomatist, author and wine merchant, died 
a few months earlier than the statesman. A description of Whitefoord 
appears in the second edition of Goldsmith's " Retaliation." But in an 
entry by Farington we read that it was not written by the poet himself. 
The story goes : After the first edition was published, Whitefoord 
" went to the publisher and told Him that a Character had been omitted 
& that He cd. supply it. Accordingly he wrote & carried it to the 
publisher who very innocently introduced it into the second edition, 
& it has been continued in the subsequent editions. When it first 
appeared Sir Joshua Reynolds was asked at His table, Who wrote the 
Character of Whitefoorde ? and he replied : Himself to be sure," 

Lady Beaumont speaks of Wordsworth's great mental powers, 
eloquence and manly contentment on " ^^200 a yr. with a wife & 5 
children, with an addition of one every year." She says also that " the 
acquaintance of Coleridge with Wordsworth commenced at a Political 
Debating Society, where on one occasion Wordsworth spoke with so 
much force & eloquence that Coleridge was captivated by it & sought 
to know him." 

A different opinion of Wordsworth was held by the fifth Earl of 
Chesterfield. He at the instigation of Sir George Beaumont purchased 
the last volume of Wordsworth's poems (1807), 

which, when He asked for it, Paine, the Bookseller, was surprised, said He had it not, 
but if His Lordship was in earnest to purchase it He wd. get it for him. Lord Chesterfield 



X Introduction 

said, 1 gave seven shillings & sixpence for it, & anybody shall have it for the odd sixpence. 
He then expressed His surprise at the puerile nonsense in it, & Lysons, on looking into 
the volume was equally astonished at such stuff being published. 

In an after-dinner talk respecting the mental powers of women, 
Samuel Rogers said " Women do not reason " and could not be put 
on a footing with men. Poetry was touched upon and Fuseli allowed 
" that Walter Scott, without being a poet, was nearer being one than any 
other author of the present period," which, Farington says, " was rather 
bearing on Rogers who has acquired reputation from His Pleasures of 
Memory." The Diarist was not a hero- worshipper, as may be gathered 
from his comment in the following entry : 

We saw the sketches made by Stothard in Scotland the last summer. He was absent 
from London nearly 3 months. — Many of the sketches were views of places from which 
engravings are to be made to accompany an edition of Burns' poems. — He made a drawmg 
of the House in which Burns was born ; — the room in which He wrote ; with the desk at 
which He wrote, & the Chair on which He sat.— So far is this kind of enthusiastic admira- 
tion now carried. 

The many other interesting topics dealt with include forging bank 
notes, duels, the fight between Cribb and Mohneaux, the American 
nigger, eminent actors, musicians and doctors, thefts from the Royal 
Academy, the Chevalier D'Eon, art in Liverpool and Leeds, and illu- 
minating information relating to America at the beginning of the 
Nineteenth Century. 

On March 7th, 181 1, it was computed that Philadelphia contained about 
100,000 inhabitants and New York about 90,000. There was much 
luxurious living among the " higher people " in the Quaker City and 
" much distraction in the ranks of Society." Nevertheless, living 
was cheaper in America than in England ; for instance, ^1,000 a year 
went as far as ;^3,ooo a year in England. 

We are told by Mrs. Coxe that, 

The women in Philadelphia are universally handsome. Their complexions are not 
fair, but of a clear, brownish colour. Their persons are well formed, and their manners are 
remarkably pleasing and agreeable. Both in person and manner they are much above the 
men, who have not the same pleasing address, & have in their speaking a peculiar and what 
may be called " a Yanky tone of voice." It was observed by British Officers who were in 
America during the War with England, that the women were in all respects a century in 
improvement before the men. ... In America a great change has taken place among the 
Quakers ; they now very much disregard that characteristic simplicity of manners by 
which they were formerly distinguished. She said there is little piety in America, less 
than in England. — 

It may be said that there are no poor people in Philadelphia. A Beggar is scarcely to 
be seen. 

But the most attractive feature of the volume for numerous people 
will be the delightful chapters headed " Westward Ho ! " containing 
an account by Farington of a fifteen weeks' tour in Devonshire and Corn- 
wall. These chapters would make excellent reading for the fortunate 



Introduction xi 

people who spend their holidays this year in the delectable counties of 
the West. Note could be made of the changes that have taken place 
there between i8ii and the present time. 

The price of lodgings and the cost of living at the various towns 
and villages visited by the Diarist are given, and he describes with 
considerable charm the beauty of the scenery peculiar to each 
locality. We learn how fishermen and miners live, and read of early 
marriages, quaint characters and customs, of notable men and women, 
of old families, of shipwrecks, riots and duels, of violent democrats, 
volunteer cavalry, local singers, the affectation of fine dress, matters 
of health, and converts to Methodism. 

While at Exeter, Farington heard of eminent churchmen, of Coleridge's 
destitution, of the King's affection for his daughter Amelia and of 
Devonshire artists. 

Much readable matter has been omitted from this brief summary, but 
enough has been given to show that Volume VI. is not less varied and 
interesting than its predecessors. 

Editorial interpolations in the text are placed, as in previous issues, 
within brackets, and Farington's spelling and punctuation are preserved 
throughout. Thanks are again owing to Mr. Robert Harris for assistance 
in reading the proofs, and it should be said that pressure of office work 
has compelled Mr. T. P. Greig to relinquish the indexing of this Volume 
and the two others yet to come, 

Messrs. Hutchinson, the publishers, are now wholly responsible for 
the index, and they promise to fulfil the task as comprehensively as it 
was performed by Mr. Greig. 

James Greig. 

Savage Club, 

March 31, 1926. 



CONTENTS 



CHAPTER I PAGE 

Strong Beer — An Extraordinary Character — Formation of the Prado — 

Rebels in India — Insubordination in Quebec — Death of Hoppner i 

CHAPTER II 

Soane's Conduct at the R.A. — Highly Improper — A Famous Wit — Caleb's 

Will — Cruelty and Oppression — R.A. Gift to Farington 6 

CHAPTER III 

R.A. Election — Caleb Whiteforde — Died of Grief — Accident at Liverpool 

— A Conspiracy lo 

CHAPTER IV 

Wellington's Pension — National Debt — Ships and Topography — Farington's 
Prices — Ward's Nervous State — A Knight Marshalman — The Turks 
and Opium 13 

CHAPTER V 

Libel Against the King — Buy Modern Pictures — "My Dear Sir George" — 

Soane Wanted to Know — Rome United to France 16 

CHAPTER VI 

Unsuitable Secretaries — " What Stuff it is " — Soane's Character — The 

Elgin Marbles 20 

CHAPTER VII 

A Great Chemist — Art and the Tea Plant — Death of Ozias Humphry — 
Lord de Dunstanville — Hoppner 's Scholarship — The Prince and the 
Dealer 23 

CHAPTER VIII 

Wilkie and the Duke — Covent Garden Theatre — Food and Health — Sydney 
Smith's Humour — Windham and the Reporters — Hoppner's Widow — 
His Diploma Picture 27 

CHAPTER IX 

A City Merchant — Dread of Buonaparte — Lord Cowper's Mistake — A 

Bloodless Duel — Publishers' Terms — Benjamin West 31 

CHAPTER X 

Sir Francis Burdett — West Looked Very Old — Romney's Wife — Sir Francis 

Still at Large — Wordsworth and Coleridge 34 

CHAPTER XI 

To Prevent Riots — The British Constitution — Princess Amelia — Banner 

of Sedition — The Prince's Dinner — Sir Francis Taken to the Tower. ... 37 

xiii 



xiv Contents 

CHAPTER XII PAGE 

Blackballing— Royal Academy Affairs— The Diploma Gallery— Forging 

Bank Notes — Public Criticism 41 

CHAPTER XIII 

The Princess and Lady Oxford — A Packet of Letters — Sir Francis Burdett's 

Imprisonment — Spanish and French — And the English — Farington . . 44 

CHAPTER XIV 

Academy Rules — Kemble's Salary — A Man of Resolution — Carlton House 

Tavern 47 

CHAPTER XV 

Don Quixote — A Hair Dresser — Misfortunes — Sir Francis Burdett Com- 
mitted — The Duke and Sir Joshua 50 

CHAPTER XVI 

A Great Brokery Concern — Artists and Publishers — Little Known Cornwall 

— Peculation and Tyranny — Farington's Logic — Wilkie's Good Sense . . 54 

CHAPTER XVII 

Sir George Beaumont and Haydon — Haydon's Mind Deranged — Alarming 
Times — A New Loan — Lord Mulgrave's Expenses — Art in Liverpool 
and Leeds 58 

CHAPTER XVIII 

Chevalier D'Eon — Windham's Illness — Forcing the Dardanelles — Windham 

Dying — Academy of Engravers 62 

CHAPTER XIX 

Windham's Death — Doctors Differ — Mrs. Windham did not Know — 
Constable a Candidate — The Best Speaker in the Lords — Dr. Hughes — 
An Artist's Fund — The King and the Worst Academy 65 

CHAPTER XX 

A Breach of Trust — Windham and the Sacrament — A Committee of Taste 
— Beauty and the Beast — Thefts from the R.A. — Buonaparte — Sir 
Joshua's Friend 69 

CHAPTER XXI 

By Boat from the Tower — The Windham Operation — A Good Cutter — 
Wilson and Portrait Painting — A Mutilated Picture — Stroehling a 
German — James Ward's Prices y^ 

CHAPTER XXII 

A Generous Patron — Buonaparte and Art — A Commercial Speculator — 
Constable and His Father — The Fox and the Pigeon — Farington and 
the Publisher „„ 

CHAPTER XXIII 

Sir Joshua's Diplomacy— Warren Hastings and the Major— Ozias Humphry's 

Anxiety— The Actor and His Wife— The Finest View in Europe Titian 

Introduced Smoke — The Arts in England 80 

CHAPTER XXIV 

Northcote's Wealth— Hoppner's Family— The Death Sentence— A Silly 
Duel— Scott and Rogers— Farington Declined— A Successful Issue 
— Bad Management o 

CHAPTER XXV 

William Cobbett Sent to Prison — A Revolutionary Orator — Smirke and His 

Father — Democrats All — Wilkie's a Bad Case — The Prince and Art., 87 



Contents xv 

CHAPTER XXVI page 

Kemble's Poems — The Largest Ship — New Publications — Too Long Afloat — 

The Making of Sailors — National Depot of Art — Nepotism 91 

CHAPTER XXVII 

Michael Angelo — Great Failures in the City — Burns "Worship — Art Collectors 

— Sectarian Doctrines — A Landscape Gardener 94 

CHAPTER XXVIII 

Great Ship Builders — A Court Favourite — Dashing Speculations — Doctors 

Made Him Worse 97 

CHAPTER XXIX 

Celebrated Doctors — Early and Late — Impressive Admonition — Artists and 

their Habits — Behind the Scenes 100 

CHAPTER XXX 

Ward at the Top — Turner and Respectability — Black Man's Fine Figure — 
Cobbett in Prison — Academy Against Water Colours — Like Henry VIII. 
— Windham 104 

CHAPTER XXXI 

Westward Ho I — From London to Cornwall — Lodgings at Weymouth — 
A Bank Failure — A Young Artist — Cost of Living in Devonshire — 
Mount Edgcumbe 108 

CHAPTER XXXII 

Westward Ho ! — The Power of the Sun — The Cheese-wring — A Blind 

Boatman — Polperro — No, No Sir, No 112 

CHAPTER XXXIII 

Westward Ho ! — JeflEeries, the Seaman — His Mother — Farington Comforted 

Her — How Fishermen Live — Early Marriages — King of the Place 115 

CHAPTER XXXIV 

Westward Ho ! — A Violent Partisan — A Vast Chasm — The Miners were 

Kind — Kynance Cove — A Rude Work of Art 118 

CHAPTER XXXV 

Westward Ho ! — The Devil's Bellows — Sublime and Beautiful — The Looe 
Pool — Wreck of the " Anson " Frigate — Women and Officers Saved — 
A Watery Grave — A Fortunate Widow 122 

CHAPTER XXXVI 

Westward Ho ! — The Delectable Duchy — Women Live Longer — St. Michael's 

Mount — The Cheerful Boatmen — In Barbary — The French Attacked. ... 125 

CHAPTER XXXVII 

Westward Ho ! — A Theatre Brawl — A Landscape Painter — His Success — 

No Self-Respect — Two Electors 129 

CHAPTER XXXVIII 

Westward Ho ! — The Cornish Miner — Rioters Captured — Want of Resolution 

— Burke's Prophecy — Old Families — Milliner's Work 133 

CHAPTER XXXIX 

Westward Ho ! — Founder of a Great House— Pitt's Easy Mind — Tabbins 

Hole — Of Low Origin — Carn Brea Hill — The Prussian Army 137 



xvi Contents 

CHAPTER XL page 

Westward Ho !— Confidence in Englishmen — A Famous Duel — Great Pro- 
fligacy — Bathing in Poetic Places — Encouragement to Cottars — Bubb 
Doddington — The Best Dinners 14° 

CHAPTER XLI 

Westward Ho !— Mining in Cornwall— Ruythson a Fleming— A Violent 
Democrat— A Scottish Painter— M. P. for Bodmin— Christie the Auc- 
tioneer — Female Singers — Price ol Provisions 143 

CHAPTER XLII 

Westward Ho !— A New Town— Volunteer Cavalry— Affectation of Fine 

Dress — Matters of Health — Great News — John Varley I47 

CHAPTER XLIII 

Westward Ho !— Victory on the Mondego River— Prejudice Against Vaccina- 
tion—Charges at Chudleigh— A National Port— Longevity— Sir Alexander 
Hamilton i5i 

CHAPTER XLIV 

Westward Ho !— Cooke the Saddler— The King's Jubilee— Oldfield Bowles— 

A Life of Much Felicity i55 

CHAPTER XLV 

Westward Ho ! — A Jubilee Column — Jeffery the Seaman — Out of Humanity's 
Reach — Cruelty of Man — A Painter's Town — The Public Anxious — 
Converts to Methodism I59 

CHAPTER XL VI 

Westward Ho ! — A Melancholy Curate — Notable Churchmen — Conquest of 
Havana — A Base Proposal — William Locke of Norbury Park — An 
Unrivalled Beauty 162 

CHAPTER XL VII 

Westward Ho ! — An Exeter Banker — Crude Drawings — Coleridge Destitute 
— Downman, A.R.A., Duped — Apothecary and Artist — A Devonshire 
Estate — General Dumouriez 166 

CHAPTER XL VIII 

Westward Ho !— The Good Old Times— The King's Affection— The King 

and the Ring — The Earl of Dartmouth 170 

CHAPTER XLIX 

Westward Ho ! — Strength, Riches, Population — The Estimate — Wealth and 
Surplus Products — National Development — Malthus — Prosperity that 
Dazzled — Wise Government 173 

CHAPTER L 

Westward Ho ! — An Ancient Chimney Piece — Surgeon and Apothecary — 
Death of Zoflany — Devonshire Artists — A Thrifty and Vain Painter — 
Wine and Tea — Gossip iy5 

CHAPTER LI 

Westward Ho ! — The Climate of Devonshire — A Remarkable Mimic — John 

Varley's _ Vanity — Patch the Painter — Gainsborough and Vandyck 

Pitt's Spies lyg 

CHAPTER LII 

Westward Ho ! — Reminiscences of Exeter and Italy — Cost of Living at 
Rome — Novelty in Art — From Tom Thumb to Newton — A Surgeon's 
Mode of Living — A London Apothecary — Effect of Anxiety , ,... 181^ 



Contents xvii 

CHAPTER LIII PAGE 

Westward Ho ! — A Scholar — Tragedy — A Great Picquet Player — More 

Devon Artists — Lempriere— A Bad Custom — A Firm Man 187 

CHAPTER LIV 

Westward Ho ! — Vernet and Louis XV. — Capt. Watson of the Navy — An 

Avaricious Doctor — William Jackson, Musician — Fox Glove 191 

CHAPTER LV 

Westward Ho ! — Sir Alexander Hamilton — The Portuguese — Farington and 

Divine Providence — Encouraging Young Men — The French in Retreat. . 195 

CHAPTER LVI 

Westward Ho ! — Diseases of Soldiers — A Celebrated Surgeon — Healthiness 
of Exeter — Insanity and Methodism — Opie's Early Portraits — The 
Return Journey 198 

CHAPTER LVII 

Great Gift to Dulwich College — People Ignorant of Art — Covent Garden 
Theatre — Naval Skirmishes — Fall of Dover Cliffs — The Dummer Estate 
— A Regency Expected 201 

CHAPTER LVni 

The Locke Property — Antiquities of Wiltshire — Best Educated Artist — 
Napoleon's Appearance and Tyranny — Fouche Deposed — The Empress 
Plain in Person 205 

CHAPTER LIX 

Zoffany's Age — A Curious Prescription — Twenty Guineas a Day — Words- 
worth's Puerile Nonsense — The Regency Bill 208 

CHAPTER LX 

Mrs. Siddons — Great Boxing Match — The Black's Courage — An Architect's 

Percentage — Jealous of Bone — A Great Failure — Paper Credit 211 

CHAPTER LXI 

Lord Thanet and Sir John Leicester — Dance and the Columbine — A Dreadful 

Whirlwind — The Sacrament — The Prince and His Right 214 

CHAPTER LXn 

Sweden at War with England — Robbery at St. Paul's Cathedral — Art and 
Artists — Off with the Old Love — The Invincible English — Air of Hauteur 
— The Prince Capricious 217 

CHAPTER LXHI 

Weight of Sustenance — A Black Model — The Regent — Soult Driven from 
Oporto — Demands on Publishers — There Must be Risk— Hagley — Oldfield 
Bowles 220 

CHAPTER LXIV 

Sir Francis Bourgeois — A Sixth Vacancy — Turner's First Lecture — Cure for 

Whooping Cough — Home Tooke 224 

CHAPTER LXV 

Art in Liverpool — Kemble and Sir Francis Bourgeois — Sir John and Lady 

Leicester — Each Man for Himself — Westmacott's Horse 227 

CHAPTER LXVI 

A Devonshire Artist — Turner and James Ward — Constable's Uncle — Haydon 
and Sir George Beaumont — High Prices for Enamels — Intrigue at the 
R.A 230 



xviii Contents 

CHAPTER LXVII page 

Lucien Buonaparte — Very Degrading — Extraordinary Will — Bourgeois' Will — 
Killed by Medicines — Lucien Buonaparte — Second Fiddle — James Ward 
and Wine — A Low Branch of Art — Wilkie — Obituary — Lawrence's Mind 233 

CHAPTER LXVIII 

Massena's Position — Room or Roam — Generosity and Idleness — Flaxman's 
First Lecture — Soane's Of&ce Vacant — A Lord of the Treasury — Payne 
Knight Led 241 

CHAPTER LXIX 

The Regent's First Levee — Soane Capricious — Mrs. Cornwall's Teeth — 
America and England — Handsome Women — Jerome Buonaparte — 
Little Piety in America — Spiritualism — His Step on the Stairs — The 
Solicitor's Denial 244 

CHAPTER LXX 

James Ward's Recompense — A National Gallery — Difficulties in Portugal 
— Great Action Impending — Sheridan's Plays — John Nash, Architect- — 
Marchioness of Hertford — " King's Painter " — Smirke and Lord Lons- 
dale — They Must Not Dance — Benjamin West's Success — A Battle in 
Spain — Dr. Cookson 248 

CHAPTER LXXI 

Fuseli's Self-importance — About Constable — Leave Soane to Act — Bad 

Example — He Went to Paris 254 

CHAPTER LXXn 

The Fate of England — Friendly Calls — Lord Wellesley's Lips — Dearth of 
Large Pictures — Presents to the King — Soane Would Not Be Driven — 
Farington's Picture — British Troops the Best 257 

CHAPTER LXXni 

Lord Derby's Income — Avoid Wine — Soane Again — Pride and Bigotry — 

Constable Uneasy 261 

CHAPTER LXXIV 

Her Sweet Disposition — Lawrence Supreme — An Excellent Academy — 
The Prince's Speech — Prosperity of Art — The Best Speech — Constable 
and Lawrence 263 

CHAPTER LXXV 

2,200 Guineas for a Copy — Drawings by Wilson — Lawrence's Prices — 

King and the Academy — Domestic Comfort 266 

CHAPTER LXXVI 

The Handsomest Man — Cause of a Duel — Peele's CofiEee House — Exhibitions 

— Bunbury the Caricaturist — A Remarkable Woman — Milne the Architect 269 

CHAPTER LXXVII 

Lord Courtenay — Copley's Unpopularity — Waste of Human Life A Noble 

Dane — The Elgin Marbles — Edinburgh Reviewers — Restoration 

Heath saw Buonaparte 27a 

CHAPTER LXXVni 

The Fiddler and the Lady — Kemble and Wine — A Project that Failed 

Picture Prices — Buonaparte's Defeats — Constable on Nature and Art 

Turner's Caution 277 

Iiidex 281 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 



Lord de Dunstanville, By Gainsborough 

Caleb Whitefoord, F.R.S., Diplomatist and Wit 



. Frontispiece 

By Sir 
Joshua Reynolds, engraved by J. Jones . . . Facing p. 6 

Sir David Wilkie. By T. Phillips, engraved by F. Holl . ,, 26 

Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Poet and Philosopher. By J. 

Northcote, engraved by W. Say . . . . • ,, 36 

Benjamin Robert Haydon, Painter. By Himself . . „ 58 

William Windham, Statesman. By John Hoppner, engraved 

by S. W. Reynolds .......,, 66 

John Constable, Artist. By C. R. Leslie, engraved by 

D. Lucas ........... 78 

William Cobbett, Political Writer. By J. R. Smith, en- 
graved by Bartolozzi . . . . . . • ,, 86 

Kynance Cove ........,, 120 

" The Love Pool " ,,120 



Duke of Wellington, Mounted on Charger "Copenhagen," 
in Costume worn at Waterloo. By Sir Thomas 
Lawrence. ........ 

Miss Jane Bowles. By Sir Joshua Reynolds, engraved by 
W. Ward 

Sir Peter Francis Bourgeois, R.A., Founder of the Dulwich 
Art Gallery. By J. Northcote, engraved by W. Leney . 



150 



156 



202 



THE FARINGTON DIARY 



CHAPTER I 



I«IO 



Strong Beer 

January 13. — [Statement of the Strong Beer 
twelve first Houses from July 5 — 1809 — Jany. 5, 1810.- 

No. I. (x), Meux, Reid & Co. 

2. Barclay, Perkins & Co. 

3. Hanbury & Co. 

4. Whitbread & Co. 

5. Henry Meux & Co. 

6. Brown & Parry. 

7. Felix Calvert & Co. 

8. Coombe & Co. 

9. Goodwyne & Co. 
ID. Elliot & Co. 

11. Taylor & Co. 

12. Clowes & Co. 
(x.) This was the greatest quantity ever brewed in any one brewery. 

An Extraordinary Character 

January 16. — Died in the King's Bench Prison, Andrew Robinson 
Bowes Esqr.f 26 years ago He married the late Lady Strathmore. — In 

* It may be of Interest to record that in 1913 36,000,000 barrels of beer were consumed 
by the British public, the combined profits accruing therefrom to nine breweries amount- 
ing to ^2,200,000. The consumption of beer In 1922 was only 18,000,000 barrels, yet 
the profits of the same breweries were Increased to ^^5, 280,000. Why ^ 

t According to the Annual Register^ Bowes died in the London Road, St. George's 
Fields. As Captain Stoney, he married the Countess of Strathmore, and, In accordance 
with the will of her Ladyship's father, took the name of Bowes, as Lord Strathmore, her 

VOL. VI. I 



brewed by the 



Barrels 

100,222 

88,547 
56,013 
47,669 

42,305 
39,573 
36,745 
31,173 
28,330 

21,555 
20,923 

16,295 



2 The Farington Diary [I810 

the prison He formed a connexion with a young woman, daughter of a 
prisoner, & by Her had 5 Children. — He was abt. 60 years of age. — From 
small note-book.] 

Formation of the Prado 

January 19. — [A Decree was pubHshed at Madrid, Deer. 20th, 1809, 
as follows — D. Joseph Napoleon, &c. — Desirous to the use of the Fine 
Arts the numerous excellent paintings which have until now been buried 
in the obscurity of Convents, — to give as models to youthful talent the 
productions of the best Masters, — revive the glory of the Spanish School, 
little known to surrounding nations, and insure to the immortal names of 
Velasquez, Ribera, Murillo, Rivalta, Navarette, Juan San-Vincente, and 
others, the fame to which they are entitled, we have decreed as follows : — 

Art. I. A Museum of Painting shall be established at Madrid, in 
which shall be deposited out of every Public Institution and Royal 
Palace, such pictures as shall be deemed necessary to form a Collection 
of the works of the Spanish Masters.* 

Art. 2d. — Another general Collection of the productions of the cele- 
brated painters of the same school shall be formed, in order to be pre- 
sented to our august Brother, the Emperor of the French, and at the same 
time a wish shall be expressed that it may be placed in the National 
Museum, where this monument of the glory of Spain will become a 
pledge of the sincere union of the two nations. 

Art. 3. — Among the paintings which will remain at our disposal a 
selection shall be made of those which may be required to adorn the 
Palaces of the Cortez and the Senate. 

Art. 4. — Our Ministers of the Interior and of Finance shall take proper 
measures with the Superintendant of our Household for the execution 
of the present decree. — 

Rebels in India 

January 24. — In consequence of discontents having prevailed in 
part of the Army of the East India Company which caused the Corps at 
Seringapatam & Hyderabad, {native troops) acting under European 

first husband, had done.^ For a few years he kept up splendid establishments in Grosvenor 
Square and at the Gibside Mansion, in Durham county. The pair, however, were far 
from happy ; indeed, their bickerings became so serious that they were legally separated. 
But he carried her away and broke the law by putting her In a place of confinement. 

Unable to raise the large sum demanded as security for keeping the peac^, Bowes was 
for twenty-five years under supervision In the King's Bench Prison. Lady Strathmore 
obtained a divorce from him in 1789, and ultimately the demand for a heavy bail was 
withdrawn, but he never managed to settle his affairs, and had to remain a prisoner for 
debt, with leave, however, to reside anywhere within the rules. 

* The French entered Spain in 1808. Joseph Napoleon's Idea was afterwards carried 
out by Ferdinand XL, who, in 18 19, on the initiative of his second wife, Isabel de Braganza, 
created the Galeria del Museo del Rey, and estabUshed it In the building constructed in 
the time of Charles III. by the architect, Don Juan de Villanueva. The Gallery is now 
universally known as the Museo del Prado. 



1810] 



Rebels in India 



Officers, to throw off the authority of the Madrass government, & to 
demand certain resolutions of that government to be rescinded, European 
troops & native troops were ordered to march against them. — The officers 
of the Garrisons of Seringapatam & Hyderabad had arrested their 
superior officers, & had formed Committees, which disagreed. Captn. 
Mackintosh, one of the insurgents, with 2 battalions of native troops, 
intercepted an escort with treasure belonging to the India Company, 
between Chittledroog [Chitaldroog] & Seringapatam, & was carrying 
it to the latter place, where, on the 6th. of August last, they were met 
and attacked by a body of the King's troops under Lieut : Coll. Gibbs,* 
assisted by some native troops & entirely defeated and dispersed, & 
Mackintosh wounded & taken. 

This affair happened near Seringapatam, the rebellious garrison 
of which attempted to make a diversion in favour of the Chittledroog 
troops, by sallying upon Lieut : Coll. Gibbs' camp, but they were in- 
stantly driven back by an inferior force. The Garrison of Seringapatam 
then surrendered unconditionally. One of the causes of this rebellion 
was sd. [to] be, the government having deprived the officers of the Native 
Corps of the privilege of supplying tents for their men, the profit of which 
was abt. twenty pounds a month. — 

Insubordination in Quebec 

At Quebec, Octr. 4th, 1809 — Genl. Sir James Craig Commander in 
Chiefjt issued an order strongly disapproving the conduct of the Serjeants 
of the first battalion of Royal Fuzileers, in having presented to their 
late Adjutant, Captn. Orr,:!: an address of approbation of his conduct 
in that capacity, it being an act of great insubordination. If such an 
act was to be allowed, (He states) why might not they do the same re- 
specting their Commanding Officer ? It implies discussion and they 
might be equally entitled to express their disapprobation.- — He con- 
demned the conduct of Lieut : Coll. Pakenham,§ the Commanding 
Officer in having countenanced it, at the same time highly complimenting 
that Officer on his Character. — The above Order was republished in a 
General Order issued by Sir David Dundass, Commander in Chief, at the 
Horse Guards, Jany. 18 10, approving it & Stating that to the King alone, 
or Commanding Officers entrusted with powers, it belonged. 

* Afterwards Major-General Sir Samuel Gibbs, who was killed at New Orleans on 
January 8th, 18 15, while serving under Sir E. Pakenham. 

t Sir James Henry Craig (1748-18 12) was appointed Captain-General and Governor- 
General of Canada, a difficult post filled with much success. He prevented war with the 
United States over England's naval policy, and was highly respected by the Canadians. 
Resigning his government in 18 11, he returned home, and died in London on January 12th, 
1812. 

J Lieut. -General John Orr. 

§ Sir E. Pakenham. 

VOL. VI. I* 



4 The Farington Diary [I810 

Death of Hoppner 

On Tuesday Jany. 23rd died, at His House in Charles's St. St. James's 
square, between Eleven & Twelve oClock, John Hoppner, R.A. aged 
51. — From small note-book.] 

February 8. — Calcott called. He spoke of Hoppner, & said He 
saw manifest signs of decay in him from the time of the last Exhibition, 
& He thought Hoppner himself was aware of it, & that feeling that He 
had offended several of His professional acquaintance by the severity 
of His remarks upon them, & by His sarcastic sourness, He had a desire 
to be upon better terms with them. For this purpose He proposed to 
Thomson & Owen & Calcott & another or two to form a Club of Artists, 
Members of the Royal Academy, to be held at the St. Albans Tavern ; 
but the scheme did not answer. Once Six or Seven of these dined there, 
& at another time, during the early part of the Summer, once at Hamp- 
stead, but it went no farther. At the last meeting, Calcott & others 
remarked that Hoppner's mind was affected by His disorder. He was 
irritable & wandering in His thoughts, in so much so that they recom- 
mended to Him to sit quiet for a while & take some wine. This He did 
and gradually got into a better state. — About 10 days before His death 
Calcott called upon Him & found Him in His painting room where He 
had been endeavouring to paint a little but could not long continue it. 
Calcott objected to His making any effort of this kind as being injurious 
to Him. He said He did it because should He sit down He should sleep, 
to which He was so much inclined that He could with difficulty prevent it. 

On Saturday Jany. 20th, He was downstairs, but being very languid 
& disposed to sleep He went to His bed and laid down, & never again 
arose, for He died on the Tuesday following viz : Jany. 23rd. — His 
Funeral was very private. He was buried at St. James's Chapel, Tot- 
tenham Court Road, — the only persons attending were, His Son Belgrave 
Hoppner as Chief Mourner, — Mr. Gifford, Author of the Baviad, & Mr. 
Christie the Auctioneer (His two Executors), H. Thomson R.A. Wm. 
Owen R.A. Mr. [John J.] Halls, portrait painter, & Mier,* miniature 
painter, Hoppner's nephew. 

It was remarked by the family that no offer had been made by any 
one to attend the Funeral, except by Mr. Byfield, Architect, who sent to 
make an offer of His carriage. — Mr. Christie has since informed Mr. 
Thomson & Mr. Owen that Hoppner did not die rich, but that He left 
a sufficiency to enable Mrs. Hoppner & the younger children to remain 
in the House in Charles St. St. James's Square, in which He resided 
which was His property. To His eldest son Hampden Hoppner, a Writer 
in India, & to His Second Son Belgrave Hoppner, a Clerk in the Secretary 
of State's Office, He did not leave anything, as He considered them to 
be provided for. To His third Son Lascelles Hoppner He left something 
but less than He might otherwise have done, as He was displeased with 

* Henry Meyer (1782-1847), borri in London, was a pupil of Bartolozzi, and engraved 
in mezzotint and in the dotted or stipple manner. See Vol. IV., page 247K. 



1810] Death of Hoppner 5 

Him on acct. of His not returning from Spain at the time He required 
Him to do it. Lascelles, with His Father's permission, went to Spain 
in the Suite of Mr. Frere, the Ambassador, for the purpose of seeing the 
works of art in that country, but on His Father feehng His Health fast 
dechning He requested Him to return, which the young man postponed 
making various excuses. — 

[See previous volumes for references to John Hoppner, R.A., Sir A. W. Callcott, R.A., 
H. Thomson, R.A., and W. Owen, R.A. For references to WiUiam Gifford see Vols. I., II., 
III., V. ; to George Byfield, Vols. I., III. to John Hookham Frere, Vols. I., III., V. and 
to W. Lascelles Hoppner, Vol. IV.] 



CHAPTER II 

1810 

Soane's Conduct at the R.A 

February 6. — At Eight oClock this morning I arrived in London 
in the Bath Mail Coach from Bath where I had remained from November 
30th. — Smirke & Lawrence came in the evening, & informed me of 
Soane's conduct in the Academy. In His 4th Architectural Lecture, 
He animadverted upon the works of two or three Architects of the 
present time, but manifestly for the purpose of making way for strong 
objections to Covent Garden New Theatre, to depreciate Robt. Smirke, 
He produced two very large drawings of the Theatre, which He repre- 
sented in so distorted a manner, that some of those who saw the drawings 
did not know them to be representations of Covent Garden Theatre. 

Highly Improper 

Upon hearing of this illiberal & improper conduct, Smirke called on 
Shee and other members of the Council, & in consequence the Council 
took up the matter & a resolution was passed unanimously, " That for 
a Professor in any department in the Royal Academy to criticise the 
works of living artists, particularly of members of the Academy was 
highly improper." — This Resolution was officially sent to Soane & to the 
other Professors & in consequence Soane expressed to the President 
that His 5th. Lecture not being conformable to that Resolution He should 
not proceed at present. — Callcott said " This attack upon the work of a 
living Artist excited instant agitation & hissing by some, & clapping 
by others, was the consequence. He however proceeded, & towards the 
close of His Lecture, He introduced a studied simile which He had pre- 
pared from foreseeing the natural consequence of what He intended. 
It was to this effect ' That He was aware that in discharging the duties 
of His Office He should venture into a Sea of troubles, but He doubted 
not of being able to steer His little Bark in safety.' "* 

* The Curator of Sir John Soane's Museum writes : As the Farington Diary has now 
reached the critical years 1 8 10-12, in relation to Sir John Soane, R.A., perhaps you will 
allow me to make a single statement on the matter, to which I have given some attention, 
based on original documents and private records. 

It may be conceded that the Royal Academy were wise, the world being what it is, 

6 


















A>*&. 






fcWj 



■^a 






'mi 






'ZSi 






fIt/JSUSU. 



Caleb Whitefoord, F.R.S., Diplomatist and Wit. 
By Sir Joshua Reynolds, engraved by J. Jones. 



[To lace p. 6. 



1810] A Famous Wit 7 

[We are very sorry, says the Morning Post, to inform the Public 
that this gentleman [Caleb Whitefoord] died on Sunday even'g last at 
his House in Argyle St. He was well known in the first polite & literary 
Circles, & posessed great talents & information. Mr. Whiteforde was 
the author of many works of approved merit though he never put His 
name to any of His productions. He struck out a new species of humour 
which was known by the name of Cross — readings, & when He first com- 
municated it to the public He gave the apt signature of Papyrias Cursor : 
Upon the whole He was a man of distinguished talents, a zealous friend to 
His country, & a very respectable member of Society. His friend Gold- 
smith winds up his character in Retaliation with the following appro- 
priate lines, 

Merry Whiteford farewell 1 for thy sake I admit, 
That a Scot may have humour, I had almost sd. wit, 
This debt to thy mem'ry I cannot refuse, 
Thou best natured man, with the worst humoured muse. 

Mr. West wrote the following lines — 

Here lies Caleb Whiteforde whose wit was the best, 
He ne'er wounded His friend for the sake of a jest. 
But with shrug of the shoulder when good things he spoke 
Expressively shewed He was pleased with a joke. 

He died of an inflammation in His bowels. He was taken suddenly ill 
while at dinner on Friday, February 2nd. at the House of Mr. Simmons 
at Paddington, and died on Sunday night the 4th. at 12 oClock.* — From 
small note-book.] 

in deciding to silence critics inside the fold, but Soane was equally right In his contention 
that the original idea had been very different. The Professor was to comment on work, 
both ancient and modern, and James Wyatt, R.A., wrote to Soane his own view that " no 
place was so suitable as the R.A. for that purpose." The writer of the Diary evidently 
did not understand the nature of Soane's criticism of the design of the Covent Garden 
theatre. Architecturally speaking, what Soane said was a truism, the facade had no relation 
to the flanks. The unanimity of the R.A. was more apparent than real in the proceedings, 
and Soane's services to the R.A. were too sustained and real for his exclusion, which was 
attempted, to be carried out. 

In all affairs of this kind there are various side issues, but this summary may be of value 
to those who are interested In the history of the period, and desirous of appreciating both 
sides of the case. Hodgson and Eaton's " History of the Royal Academy " (1905) has a 
typically prejudiced account of Sir John Soane. 

* Caleb Whitefoord (1734-1810), the natural son of Colonel Whitefoord, on whose 
conduct at the Battle of Prestonpans In the Forty-five rebellion Sir Walter Scott based the 
chivalrous contest between Edward Waverley and Colonel Talbot in " Waverley." Caleb 
was a wine merchant, wit, diplomatist, author, and journalist. The " Cross Readings " 
were admired by men like Dr. Johnson, Goldsmith and Horace Walpole. 

Philip Whitefoord, 5 Battenhall Road, Worcester, writes : I was much interested to 
read the account of my grandfather's death from the Farington Diary. I see, however, 
that you refer to Caleb Whitefoord as the natural son of Colonel Charles WTiItefoord. 
This, I think, Is an error, although I believe it is so stated in the Dictionary of National 



8 The Farington Diary [I810 

Caleb's Will 

[John] Taylor sd. that on the Friday morning before the Sunday 
on which He died, Caleb Whiteforde made His Will in the presence of 
Mrs. Whiteforde, & a gentleman, a friend of the family, Taylor also being 
present. Mr. Whiteforde reckoned his property to be [valued] to the 
amount of ^20,000 which He directed to be equally divided among His 

5 children, & His wife to have £400 a yr. for Her Hfe. He did not appear 
to believe His death to be approaching, but the next day a dehrium 
came on, which continued till His death. He had been sometime 
troubled with a cold, but went out, & had it upon Him when He dined 
with the Members of the Royal Academy on i8th. of Jany. — 

Taylor sd. that the character of Caleb Whiteforde, which was added 
in the second edition of " Goldsmith's Retaliation " was not written by 
Goldsmith, who extremely disHked Whiteforde. It was certainly 
written by Whiteforde himself, who after the first edition was published 
went to the pubHsher & told Him that a Character had been omitted 

6 that He cd. supply it. Accordingly He wrote & carried it to the 
publisher who very innocently, introduced it into the second edition & 
it has been continued in the subsequent editions. When it first appeared 
Sir Joshua Reynolds was asked at His table, " Who wrote the Character 
of Whiteforde ? " Sir Joshua replied : " Himself to be sure."— North- 
cote was present. 

Cruelty and Oppression 

February 9. — [Portsmouth, Feby. 6. — Yesterday and this day, 
says the Morning Post, a Court-martial was held on board the Gladiator, 
on the Hon : Captn. Lake, of His Majesty's Ship Ulysses, on charges of 
cruelty & oppression, in having put one of the Crew of the Recruit Brig, 
which He commanded on Shore in an uninhabited Island, in the West 
Indies, about two years since, because He had been guilty of theft. 
The unfortunate man was taken off the Island by an American Ship, and 
on the return of which to America, the circumstance was made known, 
published in the American newspapers, & much dwelt upon as a proof 
of our tyranny on the Seas. It was this circumstance that brought the 
transaction to light in England. The Court agreed that the charges 

Biography. We have, it is true, no actual record of Colonel Charles Whitefoord's 
marriage, as all his papers prior to 1738 have been unfortunately lost, but under the 
Scottish marriage laws of the Eighteenth Century, and with the inadequate registers 
then kept, the absence of definite record is no real proof. Caleb Whitefoord was made his 
father's heir ; he was always treated by the Ayrshire Whitefoords as one of the family 
and his father's cousin, Charles 9th Baron Cathcart, became his guardian. Under these 
circumstances I think there can be little doubt as to his legitimacy. The question is 
of interest, as it affects the now dormant Baronetcy of Whitefoord of Blairquhan. 

[The D.N.B. is not certain whether Colonel Charles Whitefoord was married or not, 
and the Annual Register, in its obituary notice of Caleb Whitefoord, says that he was the 
" only son of Colonel Charles Whitefoord, third son of Sir Adam Whitefoord, Bart., in the 
shire of Ayr." — Ed.] 



1810] R.A. Gift to Farington 9 

had been fully proved, and sentenced the Hon : Captain Lake to be dis- 
missed from His Majesty's Service.* 

Yesterday Feby. 8th, Mr. Sam Lysons waited upon His Majesty 
at the Queen's Palace & presented to Him the Volume of Magna Brit- 
tannia which contains the acct. of Cheshire. — From small note-book.] 

February 10. — I called on Flaxman and gave him a letter addressed 
to the Council of the Royal Academy thanking them for the vote passed 
acknowledging my services in the Royal Academy, and voting Fifty 
pounds for Plate to bear an inscription expressing the thanks of the 
Academy. — I also gave Him a letter urging the necessities of James 
Nixon, Associate, to procure for Him a continuation of the Donation 
of Forty four pounds to make up with His pension of Thirty-six pounds. 
Eighty pounds. 

[See Index of previous volumes for references to Robert Smirke, senior, R.A., Sir Robert 
Smirke, junior, R.A., Sir Thomas Lawrence, R.A., Sir John Soane, R.A., Sir M. A. Shee, 
P.R.A., John Taylor, author and journalist, Sir Joshua Reynolds, P.R.A., James Northcote, 
R.A., Mr. Samuel Lysons, historian, John Flaxman, R.A. and James Nixon, A.R.A.] 



* Warwick Lake was the third son of the first Viscount, Gerard Lake, the General. 
He rose to be a post-captain In the Royal Navy. The seaman's name was Richard Jeffery, 
and the island was known as the Isle of Sombrero. As soon as Admiral Cochrane heard 
of the Incident he reprimanded Captain Lake, and ordered him to take the man off the 
island. But before Lake reached It Jeffery had landed In America, 



CHAPTER III 
1810 

R.A. Election 

February 10. — Academy General Meeting I went to in the even- 
ing. — It was then proposed to proceed to the Election of an Academician, 
I read to them the Law which requires that three months notice shd. be 
given previous to an Election. Shee pleaded that this Law had not 
been attended to since 1795 when the printed abstract requiring only 
one montFs notice to be given was delivered to the members. I shewed 
them that this abstract was an error, & was not allowed to operate on 
the death of Angelica Kauffman in 1807. — It being however manifestly 
the wish of the members present to fill the vacancy of Paul Sandby though 
3 months' notice had not been given, I did not press the matter to a 
Ballot & the Election took place. — [Callcott was elected, and Fuseli 
and Flaxman were elected, respectively, Professors of Painting and 
Sculpture.] 

February 11. — Went to St. James's Chapel. — Dance I called on 
& found Nollekens sitting to him for a Profile drawing. Nollekens 
sd. He had a Brother who died in the East Indies. — He spoke of [John] 
Smart,* the miniature Painter, and told us Smart's son went to the 
East Indies not long since & died at Madrass the last summer. He said 
Smart has settled ;^ioo a year upon His daughter who has retired from 
His House, & left Him to live with His young wife who seems to be a 
well disposed woman & Has brought Him to habits of regularity in at- 
tending divine service. — He told us Mrs. Lloyd [R.A.] has an Income 
of abt. 3^120 a year, of which ^70 pr. annum left to Her by Her Husband 
Captn. Lloyd, whose first wife, daugr. of [Garvis or Gervase] Spencer, 
the miniature painter, was Her intimate friend. He sd. Mrs. Lloyd 
saves money & annually purchases into the 3 pr. cents, or the Long 
Annuities. 

Caleb Whiteforde 

He spoke of Caleb Whiteforde who died on the 4th. of this month; 
said He has left 5 young Children ; — that when He found He shd. not 

* See Vol. v., page 217. 
10 



1810] Caleb Whiteforde 11 

recover He had His Wife & Children at His Bedside, & said He thought 
He should have lived lo years longer with them, & blessed them. He 
made His Will on Friday the 2nd., & died on Sunday the 4th, in the 
even'g. He had often complained to Nollekens of His being in but 
indifferent circumstances, & is understood to have left but a small 
fortune.— 

Dance talked with me abt. laying out the money voted to us by the 
Council of the Royal Academy, viz : ^50 each, & said as it was left to 
us to make our choice He shd. prefer something useful, & proposed to 
purchase two silver side dishes with covers, for His dinner-table. I told 
Him I should lay the money out in purchasing useful articles. — 

Died of Grief 

Willm. Wells I dined at, — No. 47 Harley St. Only Mrs. Wells there 
& Himself. He gives 15 guineas a week for the House furnished. — He 
told me Lady Rendlesham died of grief for the loss of Her Husband, 
Lord Rendlesham* [the banker], who, died suddenly on the 15th. of 
Octr. 1808. This attachment of Lady Rendlesham was considered 
remarkable as Lord Rendlesham was not a man likely to have excited 
such affection. Lady Rendlesham was daughter of Mr. Cornwall of 
Hendon & sister to the late Mr. Cornwall of Portland Place, who married 
the only daugr. of the late Lord Gardner. 

February 12. — Dance called on me this morn'g. He dined lately 
with Freeland, Secretary to the Post Ofhce, who lives in a High stile. 
He has abt. £6000 a yr. rising out of the profits of His Office. As His 
second wife He married a daugr. of Lady Rivers of Bath, widow of Sir 
Peter Rivers, & sister to the Revd. Wm. Coxe of Bemerton near Salisbury, 
author of Travels &c. 

Accident at Liverpool 

[On Sunday Feby. nth, the Spire of St. Nicholas's Church, Liverpool, 
fell upon the roof of the Church while the Bells were ringing for Divine 
Service ; 15 or 20 grown persons were in the Church at the time, & of 
these the greater part escaped. The whole number of Bodies taken out 
of the ruins was 27. Of these 22 were either dead or died immediately 
after their removal. They were chiefly girls, children of the Moorfields 
Charity School. The fall of the Spire was supposed to be in consequence 
of the Bells being rung while the Spire was undergoing a repair. From 
small note-book.] 

February 14. — Lysons called. He was with the King Half an Hour 
when He carried the volume of Cheshire to His Majesty, & thought 
He looked very well, & was very chearful, but appears to be quite blind. 

* Peter Isaac Thellusson (1761-1808), banker, was created first Baron Rendlesham in 
the peerage of Ireland. He was married on June Hth, 1783, to Elizabeth Eleanor, daughter 
of John Cornwall, of Hendon, Middlesex. See Index, Vols. II., III.j IV., for reference to 
the Baron and his father Peter Thellusson. 



12 The Farington Diary [isio 

Academy I went to & met Yenn & signed the Books as Auditor. 
He spoke of the unpleasant state in which those who reside in the 
Academy are with each other. Richards [the Secretary] ^ His wife not 
speaking to each other ; & Mrs. Fuseli being upon the worst terms with 
the Housekeeper & Men Servants. — 

Antiquary Society I went to. — Richd. Smirke was making a curious 
drawing from an Old Picture of Henry 8th. and His Family for the Coun- 
cil of the Society. — Daniell I dined with at His House No. 12 Charlotte 
row, Marylebone. — * 

A Conspiracy 

February 17. — Flaxman I called on. He told me the Council had 
applied to Soane requiring to know whether He meant to proceed with 
his Lectures, & that His answer shd. be sent to a Council convened for 
Monday next. — Flaxman expressed doubt of the prudence of passing the 
Resolution of Council respecting the Professors not criticising the works 
of living artists into a Law, thinking it might be disagreeable to the King 
to have anything brought which might shew that something un- 
pleasant had been going on ; also it might be dangerous to do it, while 
Wyatt may have influence with the King to prevent His Majesty from 
signing the Law. These doubts He meant to express in the Council. 
— He sd. when Soane attended the Council on this subject, He talked of 
a conspiracy against Him, & said, that one person had procured 12 
introductory cards from members of the Academy, to enable Him to 
introduce persons to the next Lecture He (Soane) might give, in order to 
hiss & oppose Him. — 

[See previous volumes for references to H. Fuseli, R.A., Georg* Dance, R.A., John 
Richards, R.A. ; Vols. I., IV., V., for Angelica Kauflman ; Vols. I., II., III., for Mrs, 
Lloyd (Mary Moser, R.A.), and Vols. IV,, V., for William Wells, shipowner and art 
collector.] 

* Mr. J. Landfear Lucas, of loi, Piccadilly, v/rites : Farington records in his diary, 
that, on February 14th, 1810, he dined with Daniell at his house. No. 12, Charlotte Row, 
Marylebone. May I ask where this was situated, and when the name of Charlotte Row 
was altered i 

[Charlotte Row, opposite the southern end of Lisson Grove, stretched from Seymour 
Street, eastward, to Circus Street, and was part of the New (now Marylebone) Road. 
At the Seymour Street end stands the Samaritan Free Hospital for Women ; at the Circus 
Street corner the Western Ophthalmic Hospital was estabHshed in 1856 in the admirable 
building which seems to be the only one left of the block of houses that constituted Char- 
lotte Row as it appeared in Farington's time. The porch and the doorway, with its fine 
fanlight, and the front generally have a handsome late Georgian appearance. 

Thomas Daniel, R.A., sent pictures to the Academy from 12, Charlotte Row,, between 
the years 1810 and 1819, after which his address was 14, Earl's Terrace, Kensington, where 
he died on March 19th, 1840, at the age of ninety-one. — Ed.] 



CHAPTER IV 

1810 

Wellington's Pension 

February 17. — [Yesterday in the House of Commons, a Pension of 
3^^2000 a year was voted to Lord Wellington & to His two next succeeding 
Heirs. 

For the Pension. 213. 
Against it. 106. 



107. 
Mr. Wilberforce & Mr. Windham were for the Pension. — During the 
debate on the above Mr. Wellesley Pole,* stated that Lord Wellington 
had informed Him that His circumstances were as follows, viz. : That 
when He returned from India He had 42 or ^43000. — ^^5000 He reed, 
prize money at Seringapatam ; ^25,000 in the Mahratta War ; 5000 
from the Court of Directors for His services ; and 3^2000 in Government 
arrears as Commander in Seringapatam. That He had now about ^^40,000 
remaining, half of which, including her own £6000 is settled on Lady 
Wellington. — 

National Debt 

An acct. of the Reduction of the National Debt from the first of 
August 1786 to the first of Feby. 1810 : — 

Redeemed by the Sinking Fund. 3^156,042,936. 

Transferred by Land Tax Redeemed. 23,421,468. 
Ditto by Life Annuities purchased. 1,024,512. 



This on acct. of Great Britain. 180,488,916. 

Ditto of Ireland. 6,593,966. 

Ditto of Imperial Loan. 1,020,525. 

Ditto of Loan to Portugal. 21,662. 



Total : 3^188,125,069. 
The Sum to be expended in the ensuing quarter is 3^2,693, 686.19. i|. 
annual average 3^10,774,747. 16. 6d. — From small note-book.] 

* Secretary of State for Ireland and afterwards Earl of Mornington. See Vol. V., 
page 297«. 

13 



14 The Farington Diary [isio 

Ships and Topography 

February 18. — Willm. Wells called on me. He spoke of his having 
formed a design to make a Collection of drawings of all the Vessels, 
Boats up to Vessels of the largest size, used in every part of the world. 
He spoke highly of Pococks* excellence in drawing Ships correctly & 
in placing properly in the water & before the wind. — 

February 19. — Cadell & Davis I called on & fixed with them to 
call upon me to-morrow to see the Sketches I have made in Devon & 
Cornwall for their work. — Davis mentioned their design to publish a 
new Edition of Stowe's acct. of London & Westminster, with additions, 
bringing it down to the present time, & expressed a hope that I should 
be able to supply them with many drawings of places in and abt. London, 
to embellish the work. The idea had been suggested to them by S. 
Lysons. 

Farington's Prices 

February 20. — Cadell & Davis called. They looked over my sketches 
made in Devonshire & Cornwall. Lysons came. A selection was 
made for Cornwall. Lysons left us, & we then talked of the terms upon 
which the drawings shd. be made so as to remunerate me for the expence 
and trouble I had been at. As the price fixed for drawings made from 
sketches in my possession had been fixed at Seven guineas, it was agreed 
that for drawings made from the sketches of views in Cornwall & Devon- 
shire should be Eleven guineas : Thus supposing Twelve drawings to be 
made of views in Cornwall & twenty of views in Devonshire, the difference 
between Seven guineas and Eleven guineas, viz : four guineas each draw- 
ing, would make up the sum of One Hundred and Thirty four pounds, 
which should be my remuneration for my expences & time &c. — It was 
also fixed that I should be paid by installments at the rate of being paid 
for Six drawings every three months, the first payment to be in June 
1 8 ID. After this business was settled, they left me, & Lysons calling 
again, I walked with Him to His Chambers, where Cadell & Davis again 
joined us, & we looked over Strype's Edition of Stowe^s acct. of London 
& Westminster, & Davis drew up an advertisement to announce the 
work to the public. — 

Ward's Nervous State 

February 21. — [James] Ward called. He spoke of His nervous 
state, and of the heavy weight upon Him having himself & nine others, 
including His servants, to provide. He talked of this world being a 
passage to a happier [state] & of the little inducement there is to wish 
for a prolongation of life, which a sense of duty alone wd. make us to 
cherish. — He spoke of the Water Colour drawing Society in Spring gar- 
dens, who in a late Ballot for new members blackballed Wm. Westall, 
while they admitted other artists less ingenious. 

* Nicholas Pocock, water-colour painter. 



1810] A Knight Marshalman 15 

February 22. — [This day in the Court of King's Bench, Lieutenant 
Wolstenholme of the Guards was indicted for an assault on Willm. 
Knapton, one of the Knight-Marshalmen at the Palace on the 5th. 
of June 1809. Knapton was on duty in his proper dress as a Royal 
Servant ; and in pursuance of His duty, was stopping a Hackney Chair 
which was going forward, when the Lieutenant who was at the gate, 
insisted on its admission. The Marshal's man resisting it, the Officer 
seized him by the coat, tore off the Lappel and asked him if He knew 
who He was. Knapton replied that He did, but He must do his duty. 
Lieut : Wolstenholme then damned him & His orders, & seized him by 
the collar, ordered him into confinement in the Guard House & kept 
him there till seven in the evening. — ^The Jury found Lieutenant Wolsten- 
holme guilty. 

February 24. — " A man of the name of Nolan, residing in Stafford, 
is at present married to His 25th. wife and has in the whole 73 children. 
He is 105 years of age, and His wife is now Pregnant," says the Observer. 
— From small note-book.] 

February 26. — I called on Cadell & Davis & carried with me some 
etchings & drawings by my nephew William, and stated to them His 
plan for publishing prints of every kind of Shipping and down to Boats, 
They said Lysons had mentioned it to them, & Davis sd. He thought it 
might go with Falconer's Naval Dictionary. They both thought the 
Plan a good one and it was fixed that William shd. call upon them to 
speak upon the subject. — 

The Turks and Opium 

Carlisle I dined with. Dr. Woollaston is the Inventor of the Peri- 
scopic spectacles. — Dr. Ash* eminent for his learning, is President of the 
Eumelian Club held at the Thatched House Tavern. — Mr. Nicholson is 
an eminent Chemist, & Mr. Brown is well-known from his having travelled 
in Egypt &c. He spoke of the habit of chewing Opium which prevails 
among the Turks. He said this habit is acquired gradually and as by 
stealth. It is considered to be disgraceful & they secrete the Opium 
in their handkerchiefs to avoid being observed. From chewing very 
small bits they will by habit come to take a drachm of it. — 

[See previous volumes for references to William Windham, Messrs. Cadell and Davis, 
publishers, James Ward, R.A., William Westall, R.A, ; Vols. II., III., V., for Lord Welling- 
ton.] 

* See Vol. IV., page 118. 



CHAPTER V 

1810 

Libel Against the King 

February 26.— [On the 24th inst. in the Court of King's Bench, 
Mr. Perry,* proprietor of the Morning Chronicle & Mr. Lambert, the 
Printer of it, were indicted for a libel against His Majesty. — In the 
Morning Chronicle the following copied from the Examiner newspaper 
had appeared : " What a Crowd of ideas rush on one's mind, from con- 
sidering the numberless blessings which a total change in the present 
system might produce. Of all our Monarch's, indeed, since the Revolu- 
tion, the Successor of George 3d. will have the finest opportunity of 

* James Perry (1756-1821), an Aberdonian, was through the failure of his father's 
speculations forced to work as an assistant in a draper's shop in his native city. _ Later he 
tried the acting profession, but was unsuccessful, his Scottish accent unfitting him for the 
stage. Coming to England he worked for two years as a clerk in the ofHce of a Manchester 
manufacturer. 

In 1777, at the age of twenty-one, he moved to London. After toiling for a time at 
journalism, earning a guinea and a half a week, he attended the trial of Keppel and Palliser 
at Plymouth, and sent daily to the General Advertiser eight columns of evidence, which 
helped largely to increase its circulation. 

Perry was the first editor of the European Magazine^ and about 1789 he and James Grey, 
also a Scotsman, purchased the Morning Chronicle^ which in their hands became the leading 
organ of the Whigs. Perry suffered other prosecutions ; in one brought by Lord Minto 
before the House of Lords he and the printer of the Chronicle were fined £1^0 each and 
sentenced to three months' imprisonment. While in Newgate he held levees there, and 
" presents of game, with other delicacies," were sent to him. At the end of his term he 
was entertained at the London Tavern, and presented with a silver gilt vase. 

After his death in 1821 his valuable library was sold, one of the rarest books disposed 
of being a very fine copy of the first edition of the first book printed with movable metal 
type (c. 1455), which is known as the Mazarin Bible. 

This particular impression is said to have been discovered in a monastery on the Con- 
tinent and sold to Perry, at whose sale it was purchased by the Duke of Sussex. From his 
collection it passed to the Bishop of Cashel ; at the dispersal of his library in 1858 it was 
bought by the Earl of Crawford for ;{i595, and at his sale twenty-nine years afterwards the 
Bible was acquired by the late Lord Carysfort at a cost of ^^2,650. 

On Monday, July 2, 1923, Messrs. Sotheby sold this same volume, along with the eighteen 
other valuable books inherited by Colonel J. D. Proby from Lord Carysfort, and it fetched 
^9,500. In New York on February 15, 1926, another copy of this edition of the Bible 
realised ^21,200, which is the highest price ever paid for a printed book. 

16 



1810] Libel Against the King 17 

becoming nobly popular," In other words the Attorney-General said, 
there was no prospect of those numberless blessings being attainable 
during the reign of his present Majesty. It was sufficient to read the 
libel to be satisfied of its dangerous tendency. Mr. Perry, himself, 
entered on his defence very successfully. — Lord Ellenborough summed 
up favourably for the Defendants & the Jury immediately found the 
Defendants not guilty. — A similar charge against the Examiner (Mr. 
Hunt,* the Proprietor), was immediately withdrawn. — From small 
note-book.] 

Buy Modern Pictures 

February 28. — Lord de Dunstanvillef called on me & expressed a 
desire to have two pictures of my painting, views of Polperro in Cornwall 
& a Companion. He said He intended to allot a room in His House in 
London for the works of modern artists only. — Wilkie was with me when 
His Lordship came & I introduced Him. — He sd. that previous to the 
Election of Associates in November last He was told that several of the 
Academicians had expressed disatisfaction at His not having called upon 
them. — In consequence He called upon all of them. — He spoke of Lord 
Mulgrave & sd. He thought His Lordship was more fond of pictures than 
any other person that He knew. 

" My Dear Sir George " 

March 1. — Constable called. — He spoke of a Correspondence which 
has been continued sometime between Sir Geo. Beaumont & Haydon 
respecting a picture to be painted by the latter for Sir George, who objects 
to the size of the figures, they being what He calls dwarfish approaching 
too near the natural height of man witht. being it. Haydon pleads the 
example of Titian & retorts by saying if these are of a dwarfish size 
those by Nicolo Poussin are Liliputians. Haydon addresses Him " My 
dear Sr. George," who in return writes coldly. — Haydon during this 

* John Hunt, who, with his brother Leigh Hunt, started the Examiner in 1808, the 
latter contributing largely to the popularity of that weekly newspaper, which was thrice 
(once successfully) prosecuted by the Government for political offences. 

t Francis Basset (1757-1835) was the son and heir of Francis Basset of Terley, North- 
ants, afterwards of Tehidy, by Margaret, daughter of Sir John St. Aubyn. For the part 
taken by the younger Basset in the preparations for meeting the threatened attack by the 
French and Spanish Fleets on Plymouth in 1779, he was created a Baronet in that year. 
In 1796 he was raised to the peerage as Baron de Dunstanville of Tehidy, an estate which 
came to the Basset family by marriage about 11 50, from the Dunstanville family. 

Gainsborough painted a bust and a three-quarter length portrait of Lord de Dunstan- 
ville, and a three-quarter length of his first wife, Frances Susannah, daughter of John 
Hippisley Coxe. The two three-quarter length portraits are now the property of Mr. 
Clarke, an American collector. Lord de Dunstanville was also a patron of Opie and other 
artists. 

On Lord de Dunstanville' s death the Barony and the Baronetcy became extinct, but 
the Barony of Basset of Stratton (a title bestowed in 1797) devolved on his daughter 
" under the special remainder in its creation." See later references under heading " West- 
ward Ho ! " 

VOL. VL 2 



18 The Farington Diary [I810 

controversy neglects His business. — Lawrence I dined with. Robt. 
Smirke came to tea. 

[In the House of Commons, Mr. Fuller, member for Sussex, having 
been committed on Tuesday even'g last Feby. 27th. to the Custody 
of the Serjeant at Arms for outrageous behaviour to the Speaker & to 
the House, the effect of intoxication, was this day brought to the Bar 
of the House and was severely reprimanded by the Speaker. — From 
small note-book.] 

Soane Wanted to Know 

March 2. — Academy General meeting I went to in the evening. — 
The Assembly was convened for the purpose of passing into a Law the 
Resolution of Council to prevent the Professors of the Royal Academy 
from commenting or criticising on the works of artists resident in this 
country. — Much time was lost while Soane objected to signing the 
minutes of the last meeting on acct. as He sd. of a Resolution moved some 
years ago by Loutherburgh & seconded by Himself, declaring that when 
any particular business shd. be brought forward such Law as related to 
it shd. be previously read. This He sd. had not been attended to at 
the last meeting, and that Elections had therefore taken place in- 
formally. — No motion was, however, made by Him & the Minutes were 
signed. — The business of the Law now brought up was then entered upon, 
& much time occupied by Soane principally. He wanted to know " why 
this Resolution " was not passed at a former period. Why it shd. pass 
during the time He was giving His Lectures. — Flaxman & Shee at last 
told Him that it was in consequence of unpleasant feelings having been 
excited by remarks & criticisms in His 4th. Lecture that the Council 
of the Academy had thought it proper to pass this Resolution. — 

In the course of the debate Shee noticed the offensive looks of Soane 
& His manner while speaking, — also Soane signifying that He had in his 
mind something like an appeal, & an exposition of names, — & sd. that 
every member of the Academy was responsible to the body at large for 
whatever He might do respecting it ; — also upon Soane asking whether 
He might not have a copy of the Resolution, Shee sd. the Books were 
open to every Member, and of course He might collect what He might 
think proper, but He was responsible to the Academy for any improper 
use He might make of it. — Bourgeois declared that He had attended at 
a meeting at Soane's House, where there were several artists & others 
& had heard Soane read His 4th. Lecture, (that objected to) and did not 
think any cause of complaint was given in it. — The question was at last 
put and there were for the Resolution being 

passed into a Law 21. 

Against it i. Bourgeois. 



20. 
Beechey voted for it — also Yenn. — 



1810] [Rome United to France 19 

I then proposed that the comments upon the resolution & the reasons 
shewing the propriety of it, which stood upon the minutes of the Council 
Book shd. be entered in the minutes of the General Assembly to accom- 
pany the Law. — This was agreed to unanimously. — 

[The papers this day contained an account of Buonaparte having 
united Rome and the Roman state to France, of which it is in future to 
form an integral part. The state of Rome thus united, is to form two 
departments viz : The department of Rome, and the department of 
Trasimene ; the former to send 7 Deputies and the latter 4 to the Legis- 
lative Body. The City of Rome is to be the Second City of the Empire, 
& the Hereditary Imperial Prince is to enjoy the title & Honours of King 
of Rome. There is to be at Rome a Prince of the Blood, or a Grand 
Dignitary of the Empire who is to hold the Court of the Emperor. — After 
having been crowned in the Church of Notre Dame, at Paris, the Emperor 
will be crowned in the Church of St. Peters at Rome, before the loth. 
year. 

The second part of this Decree provides for the independence of the 
Imperial Throne, of all earthly authority. After their exaltation the 
Popes are to make oath never to do anything contrary to the four pro- 
positions of the Galilean Church, agreed to in the Assembly of the Clergy, 
in 1682. — The third part respects the temporal existence of the Pope, 
He is to have Palaces in several parts of the Empire, where He may wish 
to reside and one at Paris, with a revenue of two millions of francs, viz : 
^80,000. — From small note-book.] 

[See previous volumes for references to Lord Ellenborough, Sir David Wilkie, R.A., 
Lord Mulgrave, John Constable, R.A., Sir George Beaumont, B. R. Haydon, Sir Francis 
Bourgeois, R.A., Sir William Beechey, R.A., and John Yenn, R.A.] 



VOL. VI. 



CHAPTER VI 

1810 

Unsuitable Secretaries 

March 3. — After Flaxman left us Howard spoke to me of His inten- 
tion to offer Himself for the Deputy Secretaryship of the Royal Academy. 
I told Him that when the business of appointing a Deputy Secretary 
was brought forward in the Academy last night, I had moved that it 
should be clearly understood that this appointment shd. be considered 
to be only Pro tempore. I now avowed to Him why I did so : I sd. that 
during almost 42 years, from the period of the Institution to this day the 
Academy had suffered from never having had a Secretary suited to the 
Office, that Newton was frivolous, & pettish, with troublesome Office 
Pomp, — & that Richards had been a surly brute. 

Now the effect this had upon the whole deportment of the Servants 
of the Society who had too much imitated their masters, had been dis- 
graceful to the Society, by the rude manners which were exhibited. 
That the Members of the Academy could not approach it but with un- 
pleasant feelings, or question or do business particularly with Richards, 
witht. being subject to insult. 

That having experienced this so long, I did hope that no Secretary 
wd. be hereafter appointed till full proof should have been had of His 
disposition, and that He, Mr. Howard, nor any other person cd. judge 
what He might be in this office till He had experienced all that belongs 
to it. — He agreed to all I sd. as to the propriety of not filling the vacancy 
but pro tempore : — I told Him that the Secretary had no claim to apart- 
ments within the Academy : He held them by permission. — I sd. I 
reckoned the situation of Secretary to be equal to ^300 a yr. to any 
person who had lived in a respectable manner which He agreed to, & 
sd. that He had been moved to desire the situation by the consideration 
of a growing family. — Finally I told Him I had not heard any other 
name mentioned for the office, & that I shd. vote for Him to be Deputy 
Secretary. — 

" What Stuff it is " 
March 4. — Dance I called on. — He had reed, a letter from Sir G. 
Beaumont inclosing one from Uvedale Price, accompanied with 14 pages 
of manuscript of an answer to certain passages in Payne Knight's Analy- 

20 



1810] 



"What Stuff It Is" 21 



tical Enquiry, respecting the Sybilo Temple at Tivoli. — In this answer 
Price has noticed the jiutes in the Columns, and observed that the ex- 
tremities [of] the flutes are made round to accord with the round Unes 
of the upper & lower parts of the Columns, whereas Had the extremities 
been square they would not have harmonised with the round lines of 
the Columns. — Now in this remark. Dance observed, that Price was 
wholly mistaken & had formed a conclusion against the fact, the ex- 
tremities of the flutes in these pillars being in reality square. — Here then 
His illustration made against Himself. — On another point both He and 
Knight were mistaken, Knight described the temple to be of rough 
stone, — of a calcareous quality, — Price produced it as an instance of 
smooth surface, — but both were mistaken in its quality, for the temple 
had actually been covered with Stucco, of which Dance sd. He had taken 
off many pieces, — but they were thin, still that was the surface left when 
the temple was finished. — On the whole, Dance after reading Price's 
observations sd, " What stuff it is." 



Soane's Character 

Dance gave me a trait of Soane's character. — On Soane's return 
from Italy He told Dance that after He left Rome He lost His sketches 
owing to the bottom of His trunk coming out. He afterwards borrowed 
Dance's drawing of the Sybilo temple at Tivoli & copied it, & hung it 
up in His House with John Soane written under it, as if the drawing 
had been originally made by Himself. This being remarked to him, 
He claimed originality for this drawing, saying that He borrowed Mr. 
Dance's drawing only to compare it with his own. — He shewed me 
a manuscript life of Robert Milne, the Architect, who had himself written 
it & sent it to Dance. — 

[In a letter to Mr. Dance from Mr. Milne, the Architect, who has 
the office of Surveyor of the New River, He states, — " That the New 
River is 40 miles long ; has 200 bridges over it ; & far exceeds in effect 
the works of ancient Rome." — From small note-book.] 

Baker spoke of the death of Robt. Cleveley the Marine Painter.* 
He said Cleveley, a few months ago, with His wife, went to Dover to visit 
a friend & while there in walking He inadvertently fell down a wall or 
[precipice] 25 feet deep, & was so much bruised that it caused His 
death. — 

Alexander said that the Trustees of the British Museum had voted to 
Him 250 guineas for drawings which He had made from antiquities in 
that Collection. He spoke of the Speaker of the House of Commons 

*On February 22, 1795, Farington says that Robert Cleveley, "the ship painter, 
when young was bred a caulker, but not Uking the business quitted it. When Cleveley 
was a Caulker He was laughed at for working in gloves." Cleveley became Marine Painter 
to the Prince of Wales. See Vol. I., page ^zn. 



22 The Farington Diary [I810 

(Mr. Abbot) as being very acute & active in the business of a Trustee, & 
as being very favourable to Him.* 

March 5. — Dr. Monro [Turner's patron] has had an offer made to him 
which has caused him to reckon up what His collection of drawings have 
cost Him, and He finds that it amounts to abt. ^3000. — Drawings by 
Hearne form a considerable part of them ^ cost Him abt. ,^800. — This 
information Baker & Edridge gave us on Sunday last. Baker said He 
had drawings by Hearne which probably cost Him abt. ,£600. Dance 
called, wishing to collect matter for a Biographical acct. of Gilpin — & of 
Hoppner. 

The Elgin Marbles 

March 6. — Lawrence expressed much mortification at the manner 
in which Payne Knight has written of the Collection of Antiques brought 
over by Lord Elgin, in a publication lately issued by the Dilettanti 
Society, containing engravings from various antiques. Knight & two 
or three other persons have had the management of this publication, 
& passing by Lord Elgin's antiquesf & Townley's collection &c. much 
of this work is devoted to Knight's Collection of small Bronzes, — many 
of them contemptible things. In this publication Knight has not noticed 
the Theseus & other immortal works, & has dwelt only upon the Freizes, 
which He says were executed not by men meriting the name of Artists. 
— This work has been sold by the Society to White, the Bookseller, 
Fleet-street, for £2000, & is sold for 16 guineas. 

[See previous volumes for references to Henry Howard, R. A., Sir Uvedale Price, Richard 
Payne Knight, Charles Abbot, afterwards Lord Colchester, Dr. Thomas Monro, George 
Hearne, George Baker, lace merchant and print collector, Henry Edridge, A.R.A., and 
Sawrey Gilpin, R.A.] 

* William Alexander (1767-1816), the artist, appointed the first Keeper of Prints and 
Drawings in the British Museum. See Index to previous volumes. 

t See " Lord Elgin and his Collections," 1916, by A. H. Smith, late Keeper of Greek 
and Roman Antiquities in the British Museum. 



CHAPTER VII 

1810 

A Great Chemist 

March 7. — Smirke's I dined at. — Lysons spoke of the death of 
the Honble. Henry Cavendish, F.R.S.* He was the largest Stockholder 
in England. He had in different stock to the amount of a million Ster- 
ling. Hd had also a large landed estate. He left of His stock two 6ths. 
to His Cousin Lord George Cavendish ; & to each of three of His Sons, 
one sixth each, & the remaining Sixth to His Cousin Lord Besborough. 
— He also left ^15000 to Sir Charles Blagden ;t He was son to Lord Charles 
Cavendish, Great Great Uncle to the present [the fifth] Duke of Devon- 
shire. He had been a constant attendant at the Royal Society Club 
for 50 years past, at the Crown & Anchor tavern, a dinner meeting every 
Thursday throughout the year. He resided principally at Clapham. 
He was a man of mild manners, but it was remarked of Him that He 
was in His political sentiments always in opposition to whoever might 
be in power. His Philosophical discoveries had long made Plim a dis- 
tinguished man. He was born Octr. 30th, 1731, & died Feby. 24th, 
1810.— 

* Henry Cavendish (1731-1810), eldest son of Lord Charles Cavendish, and nephew 
of the third Duke of Devonshire, was born at Nice. A pupil of Dr. Newcombe, Master 
of the well-known Hackney Seminary, Cavendish afterwards went to St. Peter's College, 
Cambridge, in 1749, and left in 1753 without taking a degree. He determined the compo- 
sition of nitric acid, and computed the density of the earth to be equal to 5.44, the accuracy 
of his observations being more or less borne out by subsequent experiments. 

He and James Watt, ignorant of each other' s^particular studies, discovered the compo- 
sition of water, but Cavendish was actually the first to come to a definite conclusion on 
the subject. The two men afterwards settled their scientific disputes in friendly fashion. 
Cavendish's morbid temperament isolated him from his fellows, and " he objected to 
communication with his female domestics." 

According to the D.N.B., he left a fortune of ;£i, 175,000. The same authority also 
states that he was born on October loth, 173 1, and died on March loth, 18 10. The latter 
date is obviously incorrect, as Lysons refers to the death of Cavendish on March 7th. 
Moreover, Farington on February 27th states that the great chemist died on Saturday, 
the 24th of that month, of a neglected rupture. 

t Sir Charles Blagden, who was President of the Royal Society, acted for some time as 
Secretary to Cavendish. 

23 



24 The Farington Diary [I810 

March 8. — I called on Westall & saw His drawings made for Mr. 
Chamberlain* viz : " Christ receiving the little Children " ; and " A 
Grecian Marriage Procession." He sd. these two drawings had occupied 
Him Ten months, & the price He proposed was 600 guineas for the latter, 
& 400 guineas for the former. — 



Art and the Tea Plant 

March 10. — Wm. Daniell I called on, & saw His picture of the progress 
of the Tea plant from its growth to being put in Chests to be conveyed 
to England. He sd. Mr. Barrow, who was with Lord Macartney in 
China, & is now under Secretary at the Admiralty, has drawn up an acct. 
of this Plant at Wm. Daniell's desire. Mr. Barrow states, that to culti- 
vate this plant «Sc to prepare it & convey it in Chests to Canton for the 
use of the English Factory to be by them sent to England, alone, gives 
employment to 3 milion of persons : — That the revenue arising from it, 
paid to the Chinese Government amounts to 3 milions of pounds, — 
one milion of which is paid in English manufactures &c. — One milion 
in East India produce ; & one milion in specie. — 

March 11. — Dance I called on. He expressed a wish to give up 
His situation in the City Corporation, provided He should be allowed to 
nominate His Successor, which privilege had been granted to His Father, 
but He now doubted the probability of it, and wd. not throw away the 
appointment. — I gave Him a sketch of Hoppner's life for His work of 
Heads. — 

Death of Ozias Humphry 

Westall I dined with. — Daniell informed me of the death of Ozias 
Humphry R.A.f who died on Friday morning last the 9th. inst. at 6 
oClock, at His apartments at Mrs. Spicer's in Thornhaugh St. [Bedford 
Square, at the age of 6j^^ His death was preceded by weakness of the 
stomach which cd. retain nothing, & by drowsiness. — His nephew, 
Son to the Revd. Wm. Humphry, of Scale near Seven Oaks, in Kent, 
gave Daniell this information to day ; & sd. it was proposed to bury 
Him in the burying ground of St. James's Chapel, Tottenham Court 
road. He invited Daniell & Westall to attend the Funeral, but both 
declined it, the former having caught a severe cold while attending 
the funeral of Wheatley, — & the latter having a complaint in His face. — 

* Probably Mr. Chamberlain, who was a Common Councilman of the London Cor- 
poration and later Solicitor to the Treasury. See Vol. I. 

t A group guaranteed as " Portraits of Mrs. Siddons and her Sister," by Romney, was 
sold to an American for ^20,000. Two or three years later he, doubting the authenticity 
of the picture, sued the London firm from which he bought it for the return of his money, 
and at the trial, in 1917, before Mr. Justice Darling the painting was proved to be the work 
of Ozias Humphry, R.A. See Index to Vols. L, IL, III., IV. and V. 



1810] Lord de Dunstanville 25 

March 12. — Medland* came from Hertford and looked over [Faring- 
ton's nephew] William's sketches & etchings of Shipping. He offered 
to execute the Aqua-tinta part of those of the larger size intended for the 
quarto volume, for four guineas each, including the price of the Copper 
reckoned at Six Shillings. From His experience He judges that 500 
good impressions might be expected, & 200 more or 250 that wd. be 
saleable. Sometimes His plates have yielded 1000 or more. — When a 
Plate fails He retouches them, for half price. 

Lord de Dunstanville's I dined at. — Champaigne, Hermitage, Claret, 
Port, Madeira, Sherry. The late Mr. Henry Cavendish was spoken of. 
He never gave a dinner to any one. He saw His Cousin, Lord George 
Cavendish to whom He left ^700,000, only once a year. Lord George when 
making this visit once took one of His Sons with Him, which offended 
Mr. Cavendish. 

Hoppner's Scholarship 

Lord de Dunstanville expressed His surprise that Hoppner should 
have died witht. more notice being taken of it, both by attendance at 
His funeral, and by the public papers. He said Hoppner was a man 
who had acquired a great deal of knowledge out of as well as in His pro- 
fession, & that the irritability which was found in Him was the effect of 
a bad constitution. For my part, sd. His Lordship " I feel bound to 
show that indulgence to others which I myself stand in need of and such 
infirmities as are more or less common to all human beings we are 
mutually bound to consider with tenderness. — Nay, perhaps," said He, 
" we like persons the better on acct. of their infirmities, it makes them 
objects of compassionate feeling." Hoppner, He said. Had ediTcation, 
& was a scholar, not a deep one, but sufficient to qualify Him for literary 
discourse. — His Lordship expressed how much higher in his estimation 
men of Professions stood than those who had nothing but fortune derived 
from Hereditary succession. 

The Prince and the Dealer 

Bourgeois spoke of the late Walsh Porter, who, He said, in His mode 
of living carried it to a very high extreme. f He wd. have the most 
costly wines upon His table, & carelessly wd. say, " If any one would 
choose Port wine, there is some upon the sideboard." — Bourgeois sd. 
Walsh Porter was very excentric & entertaining, and His Society was 
much relished by the Prince of Wales, who, in His associations was sure 
to fix upon a man who with singularities had something in Him. — I 

• Thomas Medland, engraver. See Vol. II. 

t Mr. Walsh Porter was ostensibly a private collector, but actually was what is called 
a " gentleman dealer." In 1803 he disposed of a fine collection at Christie's. On Satur- 
day, April 14th, 1 8 10, the pictures referred to above by Farington were " sold peremptorily, 
and without reserve," and described as " a superb assemblage. . . . Scarcely to be equalled 
by even the finest that have been consigned to this country within the last ten years.'' 
They realised ^^30,074 19s. 



26 The Farington Diary [I810 

all that related to manner & fastidious delicacy in entertaining and in 
His habits, Walsh Porter far exceed[ed] Mr. Skeffington.* — Lord de 
Dunstanville sd. that He knew Walsh Porter, & thought Him to be " a 
very slight man — that there was nothing in Him, either of knowledge 
or understanding." — Bourgeois then sd. Porter had not the least real 
knowledge of pictures, but He was a dealer, and did what He cd. to get 
money by buying pictures & selling them. — His expences, however, 
were such, that before His death His fortune was gone, — and the Col- 
lection now offered for Sale under His name, undoubtedly is the property 
of several persons, a part of it only having really belonged to him. 

Bourgeois spoke to me of the late Caleb Whiteforde. — Dr. Reynolds 
attended Him, & told Bourgeois that He died of a fever, such as young 
men as well as old are liable to, & that Old age had nothing to do with 
it, as being a cause of it. — His wife, though a young woman, was much 
afflicted when she saw His case [was] dangerous. — Bourgeois sd. He ex- 
celled in speaking the French language. — 

[See previous volumes for William Daniell, R.A. ; Vols. I., III., IV., V., for Lord 
MacartneyandVols.il., III., IV., V., for Dr. Henry Revell Reynolds, one of George III.'s 
physicians.] 

* Sir Lumley St. George Skeffington (1771-1850), on leaving school, began the foppish 
extravagant life that ended in poverty in mean lodgings at Southwark. A member of the 
Carlton House select circle, he invented a new colour for gentlemen's dress, which was 
known as " Skeffington brown." His attire was " a dark blue coat with gilt buttons, a 
yellow waistcoat, white cord inexpressibles, with large bunches of ribbons at the knees, 
and short top boots." Byron refers to his " Skirtless Coats and Skeletons of Plays," and 
Tom Moore in the " Twopenny Post Bag " alludes to his " pea-green coat," and his " rich 
rouge-pot." 

In old age he was described as " a quiet, courteous, aristocratic-looking old gentleman, 
an ancient fop . . . wore false hair, and rouged his cheeks." At his death the baronetcy 
became extinct. 




Sir David Wilkie. 
By T. Phillips, engraved by F. HoU. 



[To face p. 26, 



CHAPTER VIII 

1810 

Wilkie and the Duke 

March 12. — Wilkie was spoken of. Lord De Dunstanville sd. that 
when, for the first time, He saw Him at my House, He appeared very 
coarse & awkward in his manner, but that it soon began to wear off ; 
& that having since seen Him, he found He posessed a very substantial 
mind. — Bourgeois sd. that He carried to Wilkie a commission from the 
Duke of Gloucester, to paint a picture for 50 guineas. The picture 
(Card Players) being finished & exhibited, the Duke, when Bourgeois, 
with Wilkie, called upon His Highness, took Bourgeois into His Closet & 
sd. " The report of this picture is so high, that I cannot possibly take it, 
at the price proposed." — Bourgeois replied. That the price had been 
fixed, & there was no claim on His Plighness. The Duke then said it 
would be 150 guineas, which was paid to Wilkie. — 

March 14. — Lord De Dunstanville & Mr. Pole Carew called to-day, 
& looked over my sketches made in parts of Cornwall & Devonshire. 

Lord De Dunstanville fixed upon the South view of Polperrow to 
be one of the subjects for me to paint for Him, & would have the opinion 
of Lady De Dunstanville in fixing upon a view of Clovelly in Devon, to 
be its companion. 

Covent Garden Theatre 

March 21. — Robt. Smirke told me He had reed, on His ozvn acct. 
^3000 for designing & carrying on the building of Covent Garden Theatre, 
& had a further claim of ;;^5ooo. — He spoke of H. Copeland's conduct, 
with whom He has had no communication other than meeting him where 
there were others on business, since the Theatre opened. — H. Copeland 
has shewn only a desire to gratify His vanity & to get as much as He can, 
though when He first solicited to be employed, He expressed to Robt. 
Smirke that He did not do it with a view to pecuniary advantage. 

Robt. Smirke told me, that Lord Lonsdale had [arranged] that He 
shd. be the Architect to be employed in designing & carrying on build- 
ings at Carlisle of a public nature at the expence of the country. 

27 



28 The Farington Diary [I810 

Food and Health 

March 22.— C. Offley I dined with.— Mrs. Offley spoke of Mr. Young, 
Surgeon of Christopher Street, Finsbury Square, Father of Mr. Young, 
the Actor [see Vol. IV.]. — She has derived great benefit from following 
rules prescribed by Him, as follows, — viz : — to breakfast early — at 8 
or soon after. Two Hours after breakfast to drink some milk & eat a 
handful of raisins. Note, to breakfast upon tea made of the Herbs, 
and to eat a small piece of meat, bread & butter also allowed. — To dine 
at one or two oClock — & to eat plain and nourishing food. At 4 oCIock 
in the afternoon to drink a little ale, & eat a bit of bread. At tea time 
take tea, same with that drank in the morning. 

At Supper time eat a leg or wing of a Fowl, broiled or something 
of the kind, to eat it very slowly, — & then drink a glass of Port wine & 
at no other period of the day. — If restless in the night eat a little of 
something. — Never to drink China tea, — & to avoid sauces, pastry, & 
rich things. — Above all to ride on Horseback, — a poverty of weakness 
of the constitution tending to consumption, renders this essentially 
necessary — said He. — 

Sydney Smith's Humour 

March 23. — Lawrence I dined with. The Revd. Sidney Smith 
is now much in fashion in High Life, — is frequently with the Princess 
of Wales, &c. He lately reed, invitations to dinner from Lord Cowper, 
and from Mr. Whitbread, as He understood for the same day. He wrote 
to Lord Cowper, — " My dear Lord, I regret that I cannot have the 
Honour of waiting upon yr. Lordship being engaged to dine with the 
Grand F ermentator ^ &c. &c. — This note He by mistake directed to Mr. 
Whitbread instead of that intended for Him. — Lady Elizabeth Whit- 
bread in answer wrote, " That The ' Grand Fermentators ' invitation 
was for the day following that for which He was invited by Lord Cowper, 
& that they shd. hope to see him on that day." Sidney Smith replied. 
That He should have been very happy in having the honour of accept- 
ing the invitation, reed, from Her Ladyship, but that on receiving Her 
Ladyship's note, and discovering His mistake He had shot himself. — 
His double allusion to Whitbread as an active member of the House of 
Commons and as a Brewer^ by calling Him Fermentator, is a specimen of 
the lively sallies with which He amuses company. — 

Kemble was lately speaking to Lawrence of Artists, & said " He had 
never met with any who were not sensible men." — 

Windham and the Reporters 

Mr. Canning sat yesterday to Lawrence & there was some laughing 
at the situation in which Mr. Windham now is in the House of Commons 
since His attack on the reporters of the Parliamentary debates, as they 
no longer notice His speeches, which He had been very anxious they 



1810] Windham and the Reporters 29 

should do. " When Windham now rises to speak all the reporters 
strike work."* 

March 25. — Willm. Wells called. He spoke of His collection of pic- 
tures which He reckoned had cost Him about ^16000. — He said that 
more than half of them He had had from or by means of Mortimer the 
picture dealer. — In estimating His property He should not, however, 
value them at more than 11 or j^izooo.t — 

March 26. — Lawrence brought the fine print of Mrs. Siddons done 
under His direction by Sayt, and we hung it in my parlour. 

[This day Henry Howard R.A. was elected Deputy Secretary of the 
Royal Academy, on account of the incapacity of the Secretary John 
Richards R.A. — From small note-book.] 

* The cause of the trouble between Windham and the reporters Is told in the Morn- 
ing Post for March 24th, 18 10, from which we give the following summary : 

Mr. Sheridan rose in the House of Commons on the previous night to make a motion 
relative to the petition from Mr. George Farquharson against the bye-law the Benchers 
of Lincoln's Inn " enacted, that no individual writing for emolument for a Newspaper 
should be admitted into their Society." He had, however, scarcely uttered a word when 
Windham interrupted him by suggesting that, in accordance with a standing order, the 
public should not be'^present while the discussion was in progress. Windham insisted on 
the enforcement of the standing order, and the " Gallery was instantly ordered to be 
cleared." 

On the 26th the Morning Post was able to give an account of what Sheridan said in his 
speech on the 23rd after the reporters were turned out of the House. 

Sheridan began by saying that he expected that Windham would have recanted " the 
false doctrines which he had so unguardedly uttered, and become a convert to the true 
faith of the freedom of the Press. He expected this candid and conciliatory proceeding, 
particularly as the Right Hon. Gentleman had been so very zealous in the correction of 
his speeches, so very anxious as to the stress of his emphasis, and the modulation of his 
voice, and so studiously inquisitive as to the happiest attitudes for giving his sentiments a 
pantomimic effect." 

Continuing, he said : " Of about twenty-three Gentlemen who were now employed 
in reporting Parliamentary Debates for the Newspapers, no less than eighteen were men 
regularly educated at the Universities of Oxford or Cambridge, Edinburgh or Dublin, 
most of them graduates at those Universities, and several of them had gained prizes and 
other distinctions there by their literary attainments. These and other public and pro- 
fessional characters of great respectability " would be affected by this " illiberal proscrip- 
tion." 

Windham's name was not afterwards mentioned in the Morning Post until April 8th, 
1810, when a sketch was supplied of his speech on the motion "That Mr. Hunt, late 
Treasurer of the Ordnance, be expelled from that House." But the regular reporting of 
Windham's speeches did not begin in the Morning Post at any rate until May 8th. 

t There were three sales of the WilHam Wells Collection. The first, in 1848, realised 
^5,566, the second, four years later, totalled £2o,J2^ 7s. 6d., and the third. In 1890, fetched 
^78,3 12. These figures make an aggregate of ^i 14,614, but It Is apparent that a number 
of the pictures were bought In and sold subsequently. 

Sir David Wilkle's " Distraining for Rent," for example, was bought In at i,o5ogs., 
in the first sale, and in the third it sold for 2,200gs. ; Turner's " Harbour Scene " was 
bought In In 1852 at 64ogs. ; In 1890 It made 7,ioogs. ; Hobbema's " A View In West- 
phalia," bought in in 1852 at 6iogs., realised 2,7oogs. These figures show an extraordinary 
increase in market value. 

t William Say, engraver. See entry April 25th. 



so The Farington Diary . [I810 

March 28, — Constable I called on & saw 3 landscapes painted for 
the Exhibition (rural subjects) & recommended to him to imitate nature 
& not to be affected by loose remarks of critics. — 

Hoppner's Widow 

March 30. — Mrs. Hoppner called & sat with me a considerable time, 
wishing for such information as I could give Her how Lady Thomond 
proceeded with respect to such portraits as Sir Joshua Reynolds when 
He died left unfinished, or being finished had not been sent to the persons 
for whom they were painted. — She spoke of Her situation being made 
easy by what Mr. Hoppner had left, — said that He had directed that the 
House in Charles St. St. James's Square in which He resided shd. not be 
sold ; but she, preferring to live in the Country having Her daugr. with 
Her, proposed to let the House furnished. It had been a question 
whether she should retain the entrance to the Professional rooms through 
the House in Charles St. but she having a small House in a court which 
is entered from St. Albans street, & it being easy to connect this House 
with the Professional rooms she thought it wd. be most prudent to do so, 
& make it the residence of Her Son Lascelles Hoppner to whom she cd. 
let it at the easy rent of £100 a yr. while she cd. let that in Charles St. for 
£400 a yr. 

His Diploma Picture 

I encouraged this proposal & sd. when the period shd. arrive at which 
Lascelles Hoppner having advanced in His father's profession shd. be- 
come distinguished He might then occupy the whole premises which His 
Father had done. — She expressed a desire to send a portrait of Hoppner 
to the Royal Academy in lieu of His probationary picture, a Sea piece, 
which He had withdrawn. — She said none of His Fancy pictures were 
sufficiently finished for this purpose. I also approved this proposal. — 

[See previous volumes for references to Charles Offley, wine merchant, John Kemble, 
the actor, Mrs. Siddons, the Princess of Wales, Samuel Whitbread, M.P., George Canning, 
statesman, Lady Thomond ; Vols. III., IV., for the Rev. Sydney Smith and Vols. III., IV., 
v., for William Frederick, second Duke of Gloucester.] 



CHAPTER IX 

1810 

A City Merchant 

March 31. — Wm. Wells's I dined at. — Mr. Hallet the elder Brother 
of the two here present told me He was much acquainted with the late 
Mr. Gore, father to the Countess Dowager Cowper. He sd. Mr. Gore* 
was the son of a Merchant the Head of a House in the City, — the firm 
Gore & Mellish, which House is now in the name of Mellish M.P. for 
Middlesex, Mr. Gore was educated at Westminster School & from 
thence was placed in His Father's Counting House. He married the 
daughter of a Rope maker at Scarborough with a fortune of ^40,000. 
His Father also left Him a handsome fortune including an estate in the 
Country. His great pleasure was in sailing having a Yacht for that 
purpose, & in sketching vessels & Sea views in which He so much ex- 
celled as to be very generally spoken of for His superior taste in Art. 
Mrs. Gore was an elegant woman, but very whimsical, always supposing 
one change or other to be necessary for Her health. She fancied that 
she could only live in health by being abroad, — & after residing in various 
parts, she resolved to remain at Saxe [Weimar] in Germany, where 
accordingly they lived several years, & till Her death, & afterwards to 
that of Mr. Gore who died there in Octr. 1806 or 7. 

Dread of Buonaparte 

He had suffered much from Gout, & being abt. 77 or 8 years of age. 
He was alarmed by Buonaparte coming to [Weimar], but having long 
had much intercourse with the Duke & Duchess of [Weimar], the Duchess 
on Buonaparte's approaching the place, reed. Mr. Gore & His family 
into the Ducal palace & gave them apartments over those in which she 
reed. Buonaparte. Though unmolested in this situation, apprehension 
so worked upon Mr, Gore's mind, & that operating upon Old age, that 
He died. His own House had been sacked, and in it He lost property 
to the amount of abt, I600. 

Mr. & Mrs. Gore had 5 daugrs. two only of which survived their 

* Charles Gore, of Horkstowe, co. Lincoln. 
31 



32 The Farington Diary [I810 

father, viz : Lady Cowper & another. To the latter except a legacy 
of ^^2000 to Mr. Hallet, He left the whole of His fortune supposed to be 
abt. ^5000 a yr. She now resides at Florence with Lady Cowper. 

Lord Cowper's Mistake 

Mr. Gore thinking He had not been treated with proper respect by 
Lady Cowper & Her Sons did not leave them anything. — Sometime 
before His death He came to England for a little time, & being invited 
by the late Lord Cowper, His Grandson, to dinner, was mortified on 
finding that instead of inviting persons to meet Him suited to His years 
and character, He had got together a set of gay young men who seemed 
to make Him an object for joke & ridicule. Mr. Gore was disgusted and 
so afterwards remarked that Lord Cowper never shd. again have an 
opportunity so to treat Him. His Lordship died before Mr. Gore. — 

The late Mr. Denoyer, who was dancing Master to the Royal family, 
was in habits of acquaintance with Mr. Gore & before the French revolu- 
tion persuaded Him to follow His example & to purchase considerably 
in the French funds where all the money they vested in those funds was 
lost. — 

Mr. Rogers late of Southampton was originally a painter of ornaments 
&c. & while employed in that capacity at Vauxhall became acquainted 
with and married one of the daughters of Mr. Jonathan Tyers the pro- 
prietor of those Gardens. 

A Bloodless Duel 

April 2. — R. Price's I dined at. Lysons mentioned that a Duel between 
Lord De Dunstanville and Sir Christopher Hawkins took place on Thursday 
last, at 8 oClock in the morning near Westbourn Green Paddington. 
Two shots were fired by each witht. effect, & the Seconds wd. not allow the 
matter to go further, & they (the Seconds) quitted the ground. Mr. Home, 
Surgeon [Dr. PitcairneHome. See Vols. H., HL] attended. The dispute 
was sd. to be abt. [the] Borough of Grampound. [See later entry.] — 
Smirke called on me this morn'g, and at His request I wrote to J. Boydell 
to desire Him to apply to Mr. Clarke, Chamberlain of the City to obtain 
His influence with His nephew, Mr. Pitford, a member of the Committee 
appointed to superintend the building of a Commercial Sale room in the 
City, in order to procure for Robt. Smirke to be the Architect employed. 

Publishers' Terms 

April 3. — Medland called & on my telling him that Cadell & Davis 
had declined the offer of the work of Shipping He proposed to offer it to 
Longman & Co. who, however, do not engage with others in works but 
on the terms of supplying money for Paper, Printing & publishing and 
after these expenses are repaid by the sale of the work, then to divide 
the profits with those who produce the matter of publication. He pro- 
posed to speak to them on Saturday next. 



1810] Benjamin West 38 

Lawrence came to tea. He told me Mr. West had painted one of 
the best pictures He had ever executed, the subject, Christ requiring 
those who wish to be pure in mind to come to Him as little children. 
The figures are larger than the life — Yet this picture He began since the 
15th of March, & it is completed. 

April 4. — I was at home all the morn'g, till I called on Lawrence 
to see His picture of Lady Baring 8c family. Woodforde called.* We 
talked of the Plan of Parliament being moved to grant money for the 
encouragement of Historical Painting. I told Him my opinion was that 
shd. the money be granted I thought the most judicious way of ap- 
propriating it wd. be to give Commissions to such artists as have already 
sufficiently distinguished themselves, & not to put it upon the footing 
of competition. — 

* Samuel VVoodfordcj R.A. See Vol. IV., page 70. 



VOL. VI. 



CHAPTER X 

1810 

Sir Francis Burdett 

April 5. — [This day in the House of Commons, the adjourned debate 
upon the charge against Sir Francis Burdett for a Hbellous pubhcation 
affecting the character & privileges of the House of Commons took place. 
Resolutions moved by Mr. Lethbridge Member for Somersetshire, declaring 
Sir Francis' publication to be a Libel on the House of Commons & its 
privileges were agreed to, after which Sir Robert Salusbury [M.P.] moved 
that Sir Francis Burdett be committed to the Tower. . . . — The motion 
for committing Sir F. Burdett to the Tower was then carried witht. a 
division and the House adjourned at | past 7 oClock. — From small 
note-book.] 

April 6. — Rossi called & spoke of His being a Candidate for the 
monuments of Sir John Moore & Captn. Hardinge.* He sd. Flaxman 
& Nollekens had declined being competitors, but that Bacon & West- 
macott had sent models, & 7 or 8 other Sculptors of inferior note. Dance 
He sd. had informed Him, that at the British Institution, He pointed 
[out] Rossi's model to Sir George Beaumont, but could draw nothing 
from him from which He cd. judge of His opinion. — Rossi sd. the Collec- 
tion of models was wretchedly bad. — He sd. He did not believe that Robt. 
Smirke would succeed at the next election of Academicians, & that He 
heard Westmacott now considers Himself certain of being elected. — 

West Looked Very Old 

West I called on & saw His picture, this day finished the subject 
Christ holding forth the little Child an emblem of that innocence which 
is necessary to Salvation. — He said He had begun & completed it in 20 
days, but His design was before settled & drawn in upon another Canvass 
which took him 4 or 5 days, so that upon this picture He had only to 
endeavour to paint it as well as He could. Westall was with me, & we 

• Henry Hardinge entered the army in 179 1, and after a long and distinguished 
career, was created first Viscount Hardinge. 

34 



1810] Romney's Wife 35 

thought it His best picture. — We found Mr. Beckford of Fonthill there. — 
I thought West looked very old, and much reduced in His person & 
countenance, & His spirits seemed to be low, as if exhausted, but He 
complained only of having finished His task, & that the stimulus which 
had lately operated upon Him being taken away, He felt somewhat 
painfully. — 

April 7. — After breakfast I called on Sir George Beaumont & sat 
with Him & Lady Beaumont several Hours. — He shewed me several 
pictures of His painting not finished, & at His desire I proposed some 
alterations. — He had sent 3 pictures to the Exhibition yesterday. — He 
said that abt. a fortnight or three weeks before Hoppner died He with 
Lord Mulgrave called upon Him, & saw Him looking very ill, but seem- 
ingly not conscious of His situation, but saying that Dr. Dick* sd. " There 
was not the least danger." — ^Dr. Dick had however, spoken of Him as 
not being likely to last much longer. He had not been by any means 
attentive to Dr. Dick's advice & precautions. A little before He died 
He wrote a review of " Hayley's life of Romney " published in the 
Quarterly Review, & had done it very well, — particularly in noticing the 
indifference with which Hayley passes over the improper conduct of 
Romney in quitting His wife, & never seeing Her, though witht. cause 
of complaint against Her, for nearly 40 years, & then, when under the 
effects of a paralytic stroke He retuned to Her & found Her a careful 
nurse. — 

Sir George had read James Moore's acct. of His Brother, Genl. Sir 
John Moore, & expressed much indignation at the conduct of [the] 
Government in depreciating the character of Sir John in order to clear 
that of Mr. Frere ; in this He thought Mr. Canning particularly to blame. 



Sir Francis Still at Large 

Mr. A. Phipps came in, & had just seen Sir Francis Burdett riding 
abroad as usual notwithstanding the vote of the House of Commons 
on Thursday last to commit Him to the Tower. — He understood that 
Sir Francis had written to the Speaker, stating, that as He considered 
this vote of the House to be illegal. He wd. not submit to be taken up 
by the Serjeant at Arms, but if they should think proper to send an 
armed force He would surrender Himself to it. — Further, He had under- 
stood that if a reprimand by the Speaker had only been voted. Sir Francis 
had resolved to reply to Him. — Mr. Canning's encomium on the talents 
of Sir Francis was spoken of & thought injudicious. Lord Castlereagh 
was a better Statesman, though Mr. Canning had more talent for speaking 
in the House of Commons. — 

* Dr. William Dick. Sec Index, Vol. V. 
VOL. VI. 3* 



36 The Farington Diary [isio 

Wordsworth and Coleridge 

Lady Beaumont to-day spoke much of Wordsworth ; of His great 
mental powers, of the eloquence in His convention of Cintra, and of 
His manly contentment in limited circumstances & He having when He 
first married only ^70 a year, & now has not more than ^£200 a yr. with 
a wife & 5 children, with an addition of one every year. She sd. that the 
acquaintance of Coleridge with Wordsworth commenced at a Political 
Debating Society, where on one occasion Wordsworth spoke with so 
much force & eloquence that Coleridge was captivated by it, & sought 
to know Him. Wordsworth for all He has published has reed, very little 
pecuniary profit, not in the whole more than a very few hundred pounds. — 

Sir George sd. Sir Thos. Bernard had spoken to Him abt. obtaining 
money from government for the encouragement of Historical Painting, 
& asked me if I had read Shee's pamphlet on the subject. He sd. Sir 
Thomas was very sanguine in His hopes which added He, I am not, at 
the same time expressing that He should not stand in the way of it. He 
then talked of Artists making Patrons by the excellence of their produc- 
tions, rather than of making artists by giving money, which wd. operate 
to cause a vast increase of Artists raised in hopes of obtaining it. He 
also repeated what He had often before mentioned. How little money 
Poets have earned by their labours, & that Milton produced His works, 
& Correggio His pictures in a state of comparative poverty, and with 
little hope of profit, — 

[See previous volumes for references to Sir Francis Burdett, General Sir John Moore, 
William Beckford, Benjamin West, P.R.A., George Romney and Lord Castlereagh ; Vols. 
I., II., III., IV., to John Bacon, R.A. ; Vols. II., III., IV., V., to Correggio, Wordsworth, 
Coleridge, the Hon. Augustine Phipps ; Vols. II., III., V., to James Moore and Vols. I., 
II., IV., to WiUiam Hayley, the poet.] 




Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Poet and Philosopher. 
By J. Northcoie, engraved by W . Say. 



[To face p. 36, 



CHAPTER XI 

1810 

To Prevent Riots 

April 8. — On my way to St. James's Chapel I met the Revd. Mr. 
Matthew, who told me His Son, Dr. Matthew, a Member of the Corps of 
St. James's Volunteers, had been out with His Corps, 4 or 500 during the 
night, till 5 oClock this morning, to prevent riots in the streets, by people 
assembled in favour of Sir Francis Burdett ; that several shots had been 
fired upon the regular soldiers who were parading the streets, & that one 
of them had been killed. — Mr. Matthew thought it wd. be prudent for 
the inhabitants of our district to meet & to form a plan for guarding 
our Houses. I told Him I had no apprehension for any but political 
men. — 

Sir George Beaumont told me yesterday that Lord Castlereagh was 
so much offended with Lord Camden, the Brother of His Lordship's 
Mother in Law, Lady Londonderry, that He does not speak to Him. — 

The Britisli Constitution 

Bishop of Salisbury's I dined at. — We talked of the agitated state 
of the town in consequence of the vote for committing Sir Francis 
Burdett to the Tower. — Miss Roberts* is niece to Mrs. Harrington of 
Windsor & Sister to a Captn. in the Navy. She spoke to me of the 
great effect produced on Her & upon many others, by the piety of the 
King at the Morning prayers which He daily attends, in a room in 
Windsor Castle, to which any person decently dressed, may go. She 
said His Majesty repeats the responses aloud, & with marked emphasis — 

* Sarah Roberts, says Mr. R. A. Austin Leigh, was the youngest daughter of William 
Roberts, and died at Salisbury Tower, Windsor Castle, on April 23rd, 1829, in her sixtieth 
year. She was buried at Eton on the 30th. Mrs. Harrington must have been Sarah 
Harrington, a boarding dame at Eton College, c. 1800 ; she was buried on May 12th, 181 1, 
and, by her will, left everything to her niece Sarah Roberts, of Windsor, or, failing her, 
to her nephew William Roberts, R.N. There is an announcement in the Gentleman's 
Magazine, 1783, page 893c?, of the marriage of Miss Harrington (probably Mrs. Harrington) 
to Canon Jonathan Davies, Headmaster of Eton, who, in 1791, succeeded Dr. William 
Hayward Roberts as Provost of Eton, and it may be that Dr. Roberts was the father of 
Miss Roberts. 

37 



38 The Farington Diary [I810 

She said on the Jubilee Day, the 25th. of Octr. last the Dean & Chapter 
waited upon His Majesty & the Dean read an address upon the occasion, 
to which His Majesty replied in appropriate & well chosen language, & 
sd. that to the excellence of the British Constitution was owing all the good 
that had been experienced during His reign. 

After having proceeded some length without stopping He became 
affected by His feelings & during many minutes could only utter what 
He chose to express by single words. Having concluded on this subject, 
He spoke to each of the Canons separately asking them questions abt. 
their families, &c. — One of the Canons gave this acct. when Miss Roberts 
& Mr. De Luc* were present & on the readiness with which His Majesty 
expressed Himself and the good choice of His expression being remarked 
upon, Mr. De Luc said " His Majesty does not require anyone to compose 
for Him." 

Princess Amelia 

Miss Roberts spoke of the very bad state in which the Princess Ameliaf 
is. She suffered so much from the exertion of being taken to Weymouth 
that she has never been so well since as she was in August last. She is 
now so weak, as to be unable to be taken from Her bed but to have it 
occasionally again made. It is still a matter of conjecture only what 
Her complaint is. It is an inflammatory disorder & internal. She is 
frequently bled & blistered &c. to counteract the inflammation. Her 
patience, resignation & piety are exemplary. 

Dr. Pope, a Quaker, attends Her constantly, at Her own desire. 
Sir F. Milman did, but differing from Dr. Pope, He was dismissed. Then 
Dr. Heberden and [ ] attended Her, who seemed to adopt Sir F. 

Milman's opinion. They were dismissed ; & His Majesty then required 
Sir H. Halford (Dr. Vaughan) & Dr. Baillie to attend, but not to have 
any communications with any other Physicians, till they slid, have 
considered Her case, & given their opinion in writing, & sealed, to be 
delivered to the King. Their opinions very much coincided with that 
of Dr. Pope, & from that period they have regularly attended the Princess 
Amelia at Windsor every Friday, & after seeing Her, always go to the 
King, with whose conversation & observations shewing much knowledge 
& ability, they have been very much struck. 

Banner of Sedition 

Miss Roberts said that after Morning Divine Service to-day, Mr. 
DouglasSjt Son to the late Bishop of Salisbury, called upon them & said 
He had just come from St. Margaret's Church, Westminster, where, 

* Jean Andre Deluc (1727-1817), geologist and meteorologist. He lived at Windsor 
from 1804 until his death. He is frequently mentioned in Madame D'Arblay's Diary. 

t Daughter of George HI. See Index, Vol. V. 

X The Rev. Canon William Douglas. See Index, V^ol. V. 



1810] Banner of Sedition 39 

He preached, & chose for His text " Search the Scriptures." He said 
that in His [research] He noticed that in the Scriptures wd. be found 
commands to enforce obedience to the Laws & to orders, & alluding to 
the tumults arising from the commitment of Sir F. Burdett, He said 
" That the bloody Banner of Sedition was unfurled, & that it was the 
bounden duty of those who have the power to prevent the mischief 
it might cause, by a vigorous exertion against it, & that mercy to those 
who excite disturbance & commit violence is an injury to Society." — 
He said the Speaker of the House of Commons was at Church, also several 
other members, & that while He was proceeding on this subject He savv^ 
the Speaker give a twist as if He felt it. 

The Prince's Dinner 

The Bishop told me He had reed, an invitation from the Prince of 
Wales to dine at Carlton House on Monday i6th. inst. where all the 
Knights of the Garter & the Prelate, Chancellor, & Dean of the Order, 
are to be assembled. This dinner is given by the Prince it being the 
Jubilee year of His Majesty's reign. — He said that the apartments which 
were fitted up at a vast expense under the direction of the late Walsh 
Porter are now undergoing a complete alteration under the direction 
of a person appointed. — 

On my return from the Bishop's I saw illuminations at Sir Martin 
Ffolkes's & at several other Houses in Cavendish Square, probably to 
give light to the Soldiers. — 

Sir Francis Taken to the Tower 

April 9. — Sir George Beaumont called. Lord Arden had told Him 
that Sir F. Burdett had been taken this forenoon to the Tower by an 
armed force. They were obliged to break into His House, as He wd. 
not have His doors opened to them. — Sir George thought the Govern- 
ment had not acted judiciously, in not having better concerted their 
measures & not having acted with more promptness & decision. The 
vote of the House of Commons must be supported, therefore, it shd. 
have been done, & the propriety of their proceedings might have been 
afterwards settled. 

April 10. — Lawrence called in the even'g. He thought Sir Francis 
Burdett had by His letter to the Speaker of the House of Commons 
completely done away all the grounds which He could hope to be 
popular. — 

[In the House of Commons this day the letter of Sir Francis Burdett 
to the Speaker was taken into consideration, and after a long discussion, 
it was Resolved, Nemine Contradicente, " That the letter was a high and 
flagrant breach of the privileges of that House ; but, as it appeared from 
the evidence of the Serjeant at Arms, that the order of the House had been 
executed, the House did not think it proper to proceed farther," — The 



40 The Farington Diary [1810 

Honble. Mr. Lyttleton sd. " Among the grounds of complaint He had 
against the Honble. Baronet He cd. not pass over His implied promise 
to the Serjeant at Arms to accompany him to the Tower. He had lived 
on terms of friendship with that Honble. Baronet ; but this was an act 
so wholly unworthy of him, that He must for ever abjure him either as a 
private or a political friend." — From small note-book.] 

[See previous volumes for references to Dr. John Fisher, Bishop of Salisbury, and Lord 
Arden ; I., III., IV., V., to Sir Francis Milman, M.D. ; II., III., IV., V., to Sir Thomas 
Bernard ; IV., V., to Dr. Vaughan ; III., IV., V., to Dr. Matthew Baillie ; I. to Dr. 
Hcberden ; III., V., to Sir Martin Ffolkes.] 



CHAPTER XII 

1810 
Blackballing 

April 11. — Robert Smirke called, to inspect the Stove made by Moser 
for my Great Painting room. — I dined alone. — Lysons called, & told me 
Sir Henry Englefield & Mr. Symonds, have written Circular letters to 
Members of the Antiquary Society, soliciting their votes for Mr. Buckler 
to be elected a member, against whose admission into the Society He 
writes an opposition is intended which He considers as very unjust towards 
Him, and highly improper towards the very numerous & respectable 
members of the Society who have signed His Certificate. — Lysons spoke 
of this act of theirs with great indignation. He reckoned upon 80 
promises to vote against Buckler's election, who has twice before been 
blackballed, and thought He might reckon upon towards 70 as likely to 
attend. 

After Lysons left me I reed, a letter from Sir Henry Englefield to the 
above effect — indeed in those words. — 

[On the following day Farington wrote] Antiquary Society I went to. 
Sir Henry Englefield in the Chair ; a very full meeting. A Ballot was 
had for — Buckler. His certificate was signed by a prodigious number, 
— among whom, — the Speaker, — the Chief Baron, — many Bishops, ^c. 
— On opening the Boxes there were 

for — Mr. Buckler* 90. 

against 43. 

133- 

After the Election I went with Smirke & Lawrence to Lysons chambers. 

Royal Academy Affairs 

April 12. — Philips I met [at Christie's] & expressed my sentiments 
against not exhibiting in the Council room witht. the approbation of a 
General Assembly. — He said it was much His' desire & that of several 

• John Buckler (1770-185 1), architect and topographical artist, who was born at Cal- 
bourne, Isle of Wight, contributed water-colours yearly to the Royal Academy from 1796 
to 1849. 

41 



42 The Farington Diary [I810 

other members of the Academy, viz : Thomson, Owen &c. to renew the 
intercourse which formerly subsisted by dining together once a fortnight 
from Novr. till June in each year at some tavern. He sd. it was necessary 
it shd. be called the Royal Academy Club, but might consist of a certain 
number who shd. agree to it. I told Him I had no objection, He having 
expressed His & the wish of others that some of the old members of the 
Academy shd. belong to it & named West, me. Dance, Smirke, & Law- 
rence. — 

April 13. — Sir George Beaumont I dined with. Sir George told us 
that finding Mr. West, Philips & others concurring with Him in opinion 
that the small picture sent by Wilkie to the Exhibition was a performance 
inferior to what He had before done, advised Him to withdraw it, which 
He had done. — 

The Diploma Gallery 

April 14. — Howard I called upon at the Academy. I objected to a 
catalogue of the probationary pictures being made, a thing quite new, which 
wd. tend to confound it with the Exhibition ; & that not only myself 
but others objected to it, & I mentioned Smirke's name. He observed 
that certainly Mr. Smirke's picture was an inferior work from His hand. — 

I remarked that several of the Academicians had not left probationary 
pictures there, & that others who intended to present better pictures, 
wd. feel mortified at Having those now there pointed out to the publick, 
& that shd. it be thought adviseable to make a catalogue & to shew the 
room in this manner, notice shd. be given to the members, as several 
wd. probably be induced by it to send other pictures. — He talked of it 
being a warning to those hereafter to be elected to be more careful to 
send better works, but I sd. I could not see the prudence of punishing 
those who had [sent] what was common & overlooked by the Council 
at the period of the work being executed, as it was sure now to create 
very unpleasant feelings in many which might be avoided by proceeding 
in the other manner. He proposed that I shd. write to the Council ex- 
pressing my sentiments on the subject for their consideration. 

Wilkie I called on. — Sir George Beaumont was there. He was pro- 
ceeding with His picture of the Scene before the Ale House in an admirable 
manner. — He shewed me the picture which He had withdrawn from the 
Exhibition, " the Old man dancing to the child " which I saw was much 
inferior to His former productions.* 

Forging Bank Notes 

April 15. — Landseer called. He sd. He had of late corresponded with 
Sir Saml. Romillyt on the subject of so forming Bank notes as to prevent 
forgeries. He had devised a mode of doing, as to imitate which, it wd. 
require 5 men to unite together for twelve months to effect it, & the 

* See entry for July 15 th. 

t Sir Samuel Romilly (1757-1818), jurist and orator. 



1810] Forging Bank Notes 43 

difficulty & length of time thus necessary wd. prevent He believed, the 
attempt. He had attended Bank Directors at a meeting to consider 
how Bank notes cd. be formed so as to prevent forgeries, & had seen a 
specimen (not His own) and a certain improvement on the present mode, 
but He found them apparently indifferent abt. it. They do not pay 
forged notes when discovered, & therefore take the chance. Landseer 
urged Sir Saml. Romilly to move Parliament to oblige the Bank Directors 
to adopt a better Plan, but Sir Saml. expressed that He felt a diflRi.culty 
in moving Parliament upon it. — 

Public Criticism 

Smirke I called on & we went to Lawrence who told us that this 
morn'g He had met Flaxman & Woodforde at Carlisle's and there talked 
with them of the intention of the Council of the Royal Academy to exhibit 
the Council room & to give a Catalogue of the pictures. — Lawrence re- 
monstrated against it, but they both supported it, & Woodforde expressed 
that those pictures which are but inferior works of the Artists who painted 
them wd. serve as a warning to such Artists as may hereafter be elected 
members not to send slight performances. — Thus presumptuously, 
Lawrence observed, do the present members of Council act, & thus do 
force upon the public notice works which were never intended for it ; 
& Smirke added, lay them open to public criticism which may operate 
unfavourably either way. If the works are superior to what the artist 
now produces He may be held out as no longer posessing the powers He 
had or if inferior, it may be sd. that the works they produced at the period 
of their Election, are much inferior to those of many artists who cannot 
now obtain the attention of the Academy. 

[See previous volumes for references to Thomas Phillips, R.A. ; II., III., IV., V., to 
John Landseer, A.R.A., and Sir Anthony Carlisle, surgeon, and I., III., IV., to Sir Henry 
Englefield.] 



CHAPTER XIII 

1810 

The Princess and Lady Oxford 

April 16. — Lawrence called in the evening. The Princess of Wales 
is now in habits of much intimacy with Lady Oxford, who visits Her 
with unusual familiarity. While other Ladies of rank on approaching 
Her, shew their respect by a formal curtsey, she enters the room, & walks 
up to the Princess holding out Her Hands in the manner of perfect 
equality ; which, the Princess accepting, takes her u.nder the arm & 
walks abt. the room with Her. — Lady Beverly being there the other 
night, with one of the Lady Percy's Her daugr. on seeing this turned 
to Mrs. J. A. [Angerstein] & sd. " The Princess is very obliging, we meet 
here those we do not meet in other places." — Lady Oxford now visits 
Sir Francis Burdett in the Tower ; the Princess is very desirous to see 
Him. — Lady Oxford brought to Her a message from Sir Francis, " That 
the most injudicious thing the Princess cd. now do wd. be again to run 
in debt." — This had alarmed Her. 

A Packet of Letters 

The Princess told a story of a person who had delivered a packet of 
letters to another to be carried to a Captain in the Navy. These letters 
the person left in a Hackney Coach & forgot the number of it. — They 
were, with precaution, advertised, & in a while a letter was reed, from a 
person who had them & demanded ^3000 for delivering them up. This 
was refused. A second letter came stating that if that Sum was not 
paid, they wd. soon be in the hands of a Printer. The person who sent 
the letters then pd. the ^3000— by selling jewels, as it was afterwards 
discovered. 

April 17.— [The Morning Post says— The Collection of pictures which 
belonged to the late Mr. Walsh Porter were sold on Saturday last by 
Mr. Christie for no less a Sum than ;(3o,o33. A Picture by Claude 
went for ^^2750, another, by Corregio, was sold for ,^2050. The latter 
picture we understand, was once sold for f/jooo. It was altogether a 
good & well-chosen Collection.* 

* The Claude was " Sinon Before Priam," which came from the Ghigi Palace and the 
Correggio was a version of the " Danae." In 1816 it was again sold at a reduced price : 
^324. Redford gives the figures respectively as ^30,074 19s., £,2,z^7 los., and ;^2, 1 52 los. 

44 



1810] Sir Francis Burdett's Imprisonment 45 

This day a large body of the Electors of Westminster assembled by 
advertisement, met in Palace Yard, & unanimously voted a strong 
Petition to the House of Commons against the seizing & imprisoning Sir 
Francis Burdett, one of their Members ; also a letter to Sir Francis 
Burdett warmly approving the whole of His political conduct. — In the 
even'g the Petition was presented to the House of Commons and was 
ordered to lie on the table. — From small note-book.] 

Spanish and French 

April 18. — Mrs. Hoppner I called on, & sat some time with Her and 
Her Son Lascelles Hoppner, & gave them the best advice I cd. respecting 
the unfinished pictures left by Her late Husband. — 

Lascelles Hoppner had been 13 months in Spain with Mr. Frere, the 
Ambassador, chiefly at Seville. He speaks the language, & made a point 
of living as much as He cd. with the Spaniards. He spoke of the lower 
order or mass of the Spaniards as being a fine people ; very honourable, 
& seeming to disregard money, being willing to do anything from kind- 
ness. The men of this degree fine figures, — the women genteel & airy, 
but rather pretty than handsome. Both Sexes have much natural 
grace. A Painter has nothing to do but to imitate what He sees per- 
petually, — groupes of picturesque figures, — attitudes always striking 
to the eye of an Artist. The Cloak & other parts of the dress what a 
painter wd. attempt to conceive. — The people are spirited & gay witht. 
the frivolity of the French. They are very religious, & this substantially, 
as it influences their morals. 

Their detestation of the French is rooted and unconquerable, & the 
cruelties committed by the French have been retaliated upon them by 
the murder of every Frenchman who is found straggling or detached 
so as to be overcome, & it is calculated that 200,000 Frenchmen have 
perished in Spain. Not less than 400,000 men kept constantly in Spain 
cd. keep the people under, & wherever this pressure shd. at any time be 
taken off that part of Spain wd. again be in a state of insurrection. 

And the English 

The Spaniards look to the English with the highest respect and con- 
fidence, & wherever British came, the people declared themselves to be 
safe. — Seville is a very large City & contains abt. 90,000 inhabitants. 
The people are as they were 100 years ago & more of their appearance, 
& manners, & the buildings of the town &c. exhibit to a Stranger the 
novelty of that which resembles what was seen at a far earlier period. 
— Antiquities, Moorish, & Roman, abound more than can be described. 
— The Fandango, with Castanets, danced by the women & Girls, is a 
most graceful & captivating dance. The Climate is deHghtful. — No 
winter. 

Cadiz is a beautiful town abt. the size of Portsmouth. It might be 



46 The Farington Diary [isio 

made as impregnable as Gibraltar. The Peninsula on which it stands, is 
on approaching the City, not wider than 3 times the breadth of a Common 
street. — 

Many of the great Spanish nobility have acted nobly. Several of 
them who had immense revenues, & have been courted by the French 
to retain them for the sake of their example & influence have refused to 
accept the terms offered, & have preferred living humbly in small lodgings 
to remaining in their palaces at the expence of their patriotism, 

Farington* 

April 19. — Davis, I called upon & we had a long conversation abt. 
the work carrying on. It was understood between us that they shd. 
pay to me a certain sum quarterly, & that I shd. proceed in collecting 
subjects 2c in making drawings, the accounts of each to be ballanced, by 
an entry mutually kept. — He also spoke to me abt. supplying them with 
drawings for Strype's edition of Stowe's acct. of London. 

* To the July (1923) issue oi Chambers's Journal Miss Gertrude Bacon gives a series of 
interesting extracts from the Diary of her great-grandfather, John Bacon, R.A., who has 
often been referred to by Farington. Of the latter the well-known sculptor says : 

" This tall, gentlemanly man was a landscape painter of considerable merit as far as 
I could judge from the very few specimens of his work which were exhibited. I suppose 
he had a private fortune, or he could not have devoted so much time to the proceedings of 
the Academy, of which he might be regarded as Prime Minister at one time. He was the 
R.A. referredto when his Majesty King George the Third used to inquire of the President, 
' Well, what is that busy man about ? ' " 



CHAPTER XIV 

1810 
Academy Rules 

April 19. — Academy General Meeting I went to. Calcott reed. His 
Diploma having deposited a picture which He intended for the Exhibi- 
tion. — The question for discussion was " Whether the probationary 
pictures shd. be inserted in the Catalogue of the Exhibition, viz : those 
hung in the Council Room, & the names of the Academicians who painted 
them be also printed." This was the substance of the question. — 

Previous to deciding this point I spoke of the Council having prema- 
turely & injudiciously resolved not to exhibit works in the Council room 
before they had seen what has & wd. have been sent for Exhibition, it 
being in their power to have made this resolution at any later period. 
— I particularly dwelt upon the loss the Academy had sustained in not 
having Westall's two drawings made for Mr. Chamberlain, which alone 
wd. have raised the credit of the Academy in this department of the 
Art above all external competition. These were withheld in consequence 
of the above resolution. — I also spoke of it being reported that many 
ingenious works must be excluded from want of room. — Howard sd. 
That there were not now any pictures of merit which had not been placed. 

The question of printing the names of the Academicians who painted 
the probationary pictures, with descriptions of those pictures was then 
debated. — 

The Speakers against it were Farington. 

Lawrence. 
For it Flaxman. 

Shee. 
Mr. West sd. it had been customary in Foreign Academies for the Painters 
to have their names painted on the Frames of their pictures. Rigaud sd. 
It had been formerly proposed to have the names so marked in this 
Academy. — I & Lawrence contended that whatever resolution shd. 
be thought proper to be passed, it shd. allow due notice to the Acade- 
micians to enable them to exchange their pictures for such as might be 
thought better works, previous to any Catalogue of them being given to 
the public. — 

47 



48 The Farington Diary [isio 

On holding up of hands there appeared for making a Catalogue of 
them — 7- 

Against it 12. 

Kemble's Salary 

April 21. — Robt. Smirke dined with me. — He told me that Kemblc 
as Manager of Covent Garden Theatre has ^200 per annum, & that 
He has twelve guineas for each night that He performs, & that on an 
average He performs 2 or 3 times a week. — The rects. of Covent Garden 
Theatre are such that in four years the whole of their debt for the building 
of the Theatre will be paid off. The Proprietors stand their own insur- 
ance, thereby saving ^^8500 a year, which they wd. have to pay were 
they fully insured. — No Office wd, insure them at less than 4 guineas 
per cent., and no Office wd. go further than to insure for ^10,000, so great 
is the difference of risk esteemed to be between a Theatre & a common 
building.^ 

Mr. Fuller, member for Suffolk, has engaged Turner to go into that 
Coimty to make drawings of three or four views. — He is to have 100 
guineas for the use of His drawings, which are to be returned to Him. 

[On Thursday last 19th inst. an Inquest was held at the Red Lion in 
Clarges St, by H. Gell Esqr. on the body of Mr. Blore, a Master builder, 
who died on Thursday, in a fit of laughing, in Dover St. — Verdict — Died 
by the visitation of God. — From small note-book.] 

A Man of Resolution 

April 22. — Lawrence came to tea. — He told me that the Expedition 
to Egypt was planned by Lord Melville, in opposition to the sentiments 
of the Cabinet Council & to objections written by the King. — He, however, 
prevailed; & when news of the success of the British forces was reed, 
the King with His family went to Lord Melville's at Wimbledon, where, 
after partaking of a Collation, the King desired all present to fill their 
glasses, & He gave as a toast — " The Man who had the resolution to 
propose the Expedition to Egypt, & to persevere in carrying into exe- 
cution this successful measure, against the opinion of the Council &the 
written sentiments of the King."— Thus candidly did His Majesty 
compliment Lord Melville. — 

Carlton House Tavern 

Sir Geo. Beaumont told me that the Grand entertainment which 
is to be given tomorrow by the Prince of Wales to the Knights of the 
Garter, originated thus. — Lord Hardwicke told Sir George that when 
lately Lord Wellesley reed, the Garter at Windsor, a conversation took 
place among a few in which it was proposed for them to meet together 
on St. George's Day at the Free masons Tavern or some other, the Duke 



1810] Carlton House Tavern 49 

of Clarence sd. " He thought Carlton House Tavern wd. be the best place 
they could meet at." The Prince of Wales immediately said " Let it 
be so," & it was fixed to assemble there. 

April 23. — [This day the Prince of Wales gave a very grand enter- 
tainment to the Knights of the Garter, at Carlton House. Present — 
Dukes of York — Clarence — Kent — Cumberland, Sussex and Gloucester. 
Dukes of Devonshire, Rutland, Beaufort ; Marquisses Buckingham, 
Salisbury, Hertford, Stafford, & Wellesley ; Earls of Carlisle — Spencer, 
Hardwicke — Camden, Chesterfield, Dartmouth, Westmorland, Lonsdale, 
Chatham & Pembroke. — The company assembled at 7 oClock & dined 
at I past 7. — From small note-book.] 

Middiman called & took drawings of views in Cornwall. — He told 
me He had all His life been subject to an affection in his head which has 
prevented Him from ever being able to bear being on an elevated situa- 
tion. He has frequently fallen suddenly down while walking in the street, 
as if dead, yet has immediately risen again witht. any sense of feeling 
worse for it. He sd. He has long expected an early death, but has now 
lived so long, (He is now abt. 57) that He has ceased to have apprehension 
from it. — I had company to dinner. We dined in the Great Painting 
room, the first time since it was furnished. — 

[See previous volumes for references to Lord Melville ; II., III., IV., V., to Richard 
Wellesley, first Marquis of Wellesley ; II., III., IV., to John Richard Rigaud, R.A. ; 
IV., V.J to Philip, third Earl of Hardwicke, and IV., to Samuel Middiman, the engraver.] 



VOL. VI. 



CHAPTER XV 

1810 

Don Quixote 

April 23. — Smirke called in the even'g, much hurt at Robt. Smirke's 
drawing being ill-placed in the Exhibition. — He told me He had been 
10 days employed solely in considering subjects for pictures in the History 
of Don Quixotte, & in making designs. He desired me now to speak to 
Cadell & Davis respecting it. — He sd. He shd. decline having any concern 
in the work as property, but thought of asking 30 guineas each for the 
use of such pictures as He shd. paint — to have the work published in 4 
volumes quarto, & to have 6 plates in each volume, and afterwards to 
publish in numbers, a continuation of the prints only, to extend to 70 
or 80 in all : these to be bound up with the work or not at the pleasure 
of those who may purchase the volumes. — I hesitated abt. extending 
the number, but He sd. " If Cadell & Davis do not go through [with] 
the work in this manner some one else will do it." 

A Hair Dresser 

April 25. — Cadell & Davis I called upon & saw Davis, & stated 
to Him Smirke's proposal respecting the publication of Don Quixotte, 
with which He was much pleased. 

Ward called. He told me His pictures in the Exhibition were much 
approved, & that in consequence Thomson, Owen, Shee, Calcott, PhiHps, 
Woodforde, & Beechey had expressed themselves in such a manner as 
to satisfy Him that they will vote for Him to succeed to one of the vacant 
Seats in the Academy ; and that if I wd. support Him He shd. consider 
Himself certain. — 

He told me that Say, the Mezzotinto Engraver, is a native of Nor- 
wich, & abt. 35 yrs. of age. He was a Hair Dresser, & in His House 
Chalon,* the Animal painter who married Ward's Sister, lodged, & 
observing that Say had a great pleasure in drawing & in attempting 
to paint when He had leisure from His business. He introduced Him to 
Ward, who found him endeavouring to paint landscape, but seeing 

* H. B. Chalon. See Vol V., pages 221-2. 
50 



1810] Misfortunes 51 

that His forte wd. be copying. He disuaded Him from proceeding in that 
Hne, & advised Him to become an engraver, & gave Him instruction 
how to proceed in working in mezzotinto. He has now completed a 
very fine print of Mrs, Siddons for which He is to have only abt. 80 
guineas, while Orme, the publisher, will get Hundreds by it. — This Plate 
was made what it is by Lawrence's superintendance, who wd. while He 
was at work upon it, pass whole days with Him, giving directions how to 
proceed. — 

Wm. Wells called. He told me His mother who died on the 17th. 
inst. was 78 years of age. She was sister to Sir Richd. Neave. She had 
Her faculties perfect till within 10 days of Her death, when while dining 
out, she Had a sort of fit, & from that dozed in a state of something 
like insensibility till she died. He mentioned further distress in His 
family. This morning His nephew, eldest son of Admiral Wells, and 
abt. 22 years of age, a Student of Lincolns Inn set off for Bristol Hot- 
Wells, by advice of Dr. Baillie being in a consumptive state. He was 
a distinguished scholar at Eaton, & posesses a strong understanding. 
— Admiral Wells has had a paralytick attack & W. Wells sd. cannot be 
expected to live many years. A niece of theirs also, a daugr. of the 
late Revd. Mr. Drummond, died on Sunday last. — 

April 26. — [This day was married the Marquiss of Douglass to Miss 
Susan Euphemia Beckford, youngest daugr. of Wm. Beckford Esqr. 
of Fonthill by the Lady Margaret Gordon daugr. of Charles, Earl of 
Aboyne. No person was present at the marriage but the Clergyman & 
Mr. Beckford. — From small note-book.] 

April 27. — Wm. Wells I called upon & saw the large picture by Wilson 
formerly belonging to the Earl of Kerry, & lately to Mr. Hodges of Bath. 
— Mr. Scroope bought it from Mr. Hodges for 150 Guineas, & sold it 
to John Wells for Willm. Wells for 200 guineas. — Wm. Wells told me 
He had purchased the picture by Claude called " The Inchanted Castle "* 
from Mr. Buchanan, the Picture dealer for ^^looo, — & that He shd. now 
cease from purchasing. — This picture which was in the posession of 
Mr. Troward, the Solicitor, was sold at the sale of Dr. Chauncey's Collec- 
tion for 850 guineas. — 



Sir Francis Burdett Committed 

Sir Robert Salusbury who moved for the committment of Sir Francis 
Burdett to the Tower of London, told His Brothers that at a dinner 
where He met Mr. Percival, Chancellor of the Exchequer, &c. they 

* In the Troward Sale (1807) " The Enchanted Castle " fetched ;^r,o5o, £^4.^ in the 
Walsh Porter dispersal three years later, and ;£2,ioo in the Wells Sale in 1848. This fine 
painting, which is in the Wantage Collection, has been frequently exhibited since 1848. 

VOL. VI. 4* 



52 The Farington Diary [I810 

conversed abt. Sir Francis & His publication, & Mr. Percival sd. He 
did not know what the House of Commons would do, but that He thought 
Sir Francis ought to be committed to the Tower ; & He sd. to Sir Robert, 
" You would be a proper person to move it, being a Country gentleman, 
and not always voting with us, it could not seem to arise from ministerial 
influence." Sir Robert objected, saying " He was not accustomed to 
speak in the House." To this Mr. Percival rephed, "A few words 
will be sufficient, as we shall support you." — Being urged in this manner, 
Sir Robert, when Mr. Sheridan sd. " Who will be bold enough to move 
for Sir Francis being committed to the Tower," rose up & moved for 
His Committal.— When the Mob began to act in consequence of the 
Speaker's order they pursued Sir Robert, & so much alarmed was His 
Aunt Mrs. Salusbury, on acct. of His sometimes sleeping there that she 
for some nights quitted Her House in Russell Street. — Sir Robert, to 
avoid the Mob, went to His Brother's in Hertfordshire, but returning 
to London He went to several Hotels each of which refused to take Him 
in, stating that they were apprehensive it would expose them to have 
their Houses destroyed by the Mob. He then left London & went to 
His House in Wales. — 

The Duke and Sir Joshua 

April 29. — Mr. Angerstein I dined at, — Lawrence only there. — 
Mr. Angerstein told us that Mr. Locke of Norbury Park is a natural Son 
of a Mr. Locke, who was in some way engaged in Commerce. He was 
a relative of the great Mr. Locke, the Philosopher. — Mr. Angerstein 
purchased Norbury Park for Him while He was in Italy after His mar- 
riage with Miss Schaub, a daugr. of Sir Luke Schaub. — 

Mr. Angerstein sd. He had been informed that the Duke of Devonshire 
has ^130,000 a year. He promised the late Duchess on Her death bed 
that He wd. pay Her debts, & He has done it, but not with interest. 
— Sir Joshua Reynolds told Mr. Angerstein that He was accustomed to 
go to Devonshire House occasionally, to look at the pictures having the 
privilege to do it whenever He pleased. One day He was studying the 
pictures when the Duke coming into the room conversed with Him, 
and whilst the conversation was going on the Duke rang the Bell & 
ordered His servant to bid the Chariot be brought to the door ; a little 
while after He again rang the Bell & told the Servant He wd. not have 
the Chariot but would ride ; not long after He again rang the Bell & 
said He would not ride but wd. go in the Coach with the Duchess. Pro- 
ceeding with Sir Joshua in conversation. He expressed surprise that He, 
who had acquired fame & fortune by His profession did not retire from 
further exertion. Sir Joshua replyed " To me the practice of my 
profession is everything ; it is a constant occupation for my mind, 
gives me further hopes of reputation & such other advantages as arise 
from it." He then added, your Grace's situation is very different. 
You are in possession of all that can enable you to make a choice, of 



1810] The Duke and Sir Joshua 53 

what may be agreeable to you. Rank ; Princely fortune you possess ; 
but in my situation I have a constant impulse to one thing, Your Grace 
has not, and Sir Joshua then remarked upon His having so frequently 
varied in His choice of amusement since He came into that room. — 

[See previous volumes for references to Richard Brinsley Sheridan, J. J. Angerstein, 
William Locke, of Norbury, and William Beckford and his family ; II., III.,IV.,V., to Spencer 
Perceval, afterwards Prime Minister, and I., II., IV., V., to William, fifth Duke of Devon- 
shire.] 



CHAPTER XVI 

1810 

A Great Brokery Concern 

May 2. — Steers I met today. He told me His Brother Charles who 
died lately after having been sometime in a state of insanity, had He 
lived never cd. have recovered. — James Steers returned to the Brokery 
business abt. a month ago, and will remain in Partnership with Mortimer. 
— Stokes, a relation of the Steer's, quits the Connexion, as He will not 
act with Mortimer. — The business done for Chancery is not yet given 
either to the House or to Stokes ; both are applying for it. — The profits 
arising from transacting this great concern are divided between the 
Broker employed & the Accountant General. — 

May 3. — Before dinner I walked to the British Gallery & there met 
Sir Thomas Bernard & V. Green. — I afterwards went to the House of 
the late Caleb Whitefoord, His pictures being upon view previous to 
their being sold. I met Calcott there, who remarked upon the quantity 
of rubishy pictures which Whitefoord had collected.* 

Artists and Publishers 

May 4. — This day with Smirke at Davis's, the plan for the publication 
of a translation of the History of Don Quixotte was settled. — We also 
considered in what manner a new edition of Strype's edition of Stowe's 

* Caleb Whitefoord's pictures characterised in the sale catalogue as " the capital, 
extensive, and very valuable collection," contained at least one fine painting, the charming 
" Nelly O'Brien," " painted with the magic effect of Rembrandt " by Sir Joshua Reynolds, 
which the Marquess of Hertford purchased for the paltry sum of £^6^. It is now one of 
the " gems " of the Wallace Collection. This may be the picture said to have been sold 
in the lifetime of Reynolds for 10 guineas, and is probably the Miss O'Brien with a 
Hat, which Sir Joshua recorded as having been sold for ;£36 15s. to Mr. Simons in November, 

^772- 

In addition to the " Nelly O'Brien " there were in the Whitefoord collection twenty- 
seven other pictures attributed to Sir Joshua, sold on May 4th and 5th, 18 10. These in- 
cluded a full-length portrait of "Mrs. Nesbitt," the actress, which fetched ^^31 los. ; 
" Charity," ,£89 5s. ; " Macpherson the Poet " — of Ossian fame— ^42, bought by the Earl 
of Egremont ; a study for Sir Joshua's self-portrait for the Ufhzi Gallery, in Florence, 
^76 13s. ; " A Portrait of a Boy," ^86 2s. ; and a portrait of " Sir J. Stuart," half-length, 
h^7 45- 

On May i8th of the same year seven portrait sketches by Reynolds were sold as the 
property of Caleb Whitefoord, and very small prices were realised. 

54 



1810] 



Artists and Publishers 55 



acct. of London shd. be published, & the size of the Book (a quarto), 
and of the Plates to be engraved was settled. — Davis wished me to give 
Him a list of such subjects as I shd. be able to supply them with. — We 
also looked at impressions from the plates of Macklin's Bible which are 
now the property of Messrs. Cadell & Davis. — Davis remarked that there 
are no engravings in it from passages in the Revelations and thought 
it wd. be adviseable to have a few painted, which Smirke concurred in. — 
He also had a doubt whether as some of the plates in Macklin's Bible 
are very indifferently engraved, perhaps 6 or 8 in number, it wd. not be 
best to omit them altogether in a new edition, but Smirke thought other- 
wise, saying that the mass of the people are not judges of art, and shd. 
any be omitted it might be objected that the new edition was imperfect.— 

Little Known Cornwall 

We talked of the Britannia Depicta^ and on my stating to Davis 
that Cornwall is a county but little known & contains much picturesque 
& singular matter and that it would be adviseable to increase the number 
of prints for that County, especially as it has been little visited by Artists, 
He agreed that the number of prints, including Four subjects from 
drawings by Smith, shd. be increased from Sixteen to Twenty Prints. — 
He also agreed that there should be Twenty prints for Cumberland. 

May 5. — Smirke told me that Daniell sometime since made an 
agreement with Miller, the Bookseller, to let Him have the use of the 
whole of the plates of His Indian views, to take off Twenty-five complete 
sets, for which Miller paid Him ^1200. — Miller found the paper, & paid 
for the printing & colouring of the prints. — A condition of this agreement 
was that till Miller shd. have sold the whole of these 25 sets Daniell shd. 
not dispose of any witht. allowing Miller a certain proportion of the profit. 

Peculation and Tyranny 

May 7. — Dance told me that Lieut : Coll Leigh, of the loth (the 
Prince's) regt. of Dragoons, & apparently a great favourite & much a 
Companion of His Royal Highness, had acted in His capacity of Lieut : 
Coll. in a most unjustifiable manner ; that he had been guilty of various 
kinds of peculation, by supplying the men with articles at a very ad- 
vanced price, by which He put money into His pocket. From fear of 
His tyranny, for which He was universally disliked, the men forbore 
from making public clamour, but at last His conduct was reported, & 
it became necessary to notice it. In consequence an order came from 
the Prince of Wales requiring an examination into the state of the regi- 
ment. It was directed to the Commanding Officer, which happened to 
be Major Palmer, He proceeded with the enquiry & drew up a report, 
which He openly informed Coli. Leigh He had done ; that it wd. be 
presented ; and that it behoved Him to prepare a defense. — Leigh 



56 The Far ington Diary [I810 

affected to treat it lightly ; it was presented to the King ; and probably 
in any other case a Court Martial wd. have been the consequence ; but 
it is supposed that through the interest of the Prince this was avoided, 
and it was settled by Leigh resigning the Lieutenant Colonelcy, to which 
Major Palmer being the next officer in succession on paying abt. looo 
guineas was advanced. — 

Farington's Logic 

Sir George Beaumont called & sat with me two Hours. — He had much 
to say upon several points. He had felt himself awkwardly situated 
with Lawrence to whom, at the desire of Lord Mulgrave, he had sat 
twice or three times for His portrait but it was left in an unfinished state. 
He had sat to Hoppner, but Lord Mulgrave did not like the picture, 
which, however, He had now approved & Sir George has presented it to 
Him, & no longer has a wish to have that begun by Lawrence finished. 
Under these circumstances what should He do respecting Lawrence. 
I told Him Lawrence's rule was to have half price after the first sitting 
& that if He had deviated from it in this instance it must have been 
from His not knowing who He was to apply to. He asked me what I 
shd. do in such case. I told Him I wd. not subject myself to any doubt 
or remark which might be made by any one with whom I might have 
any concern. That Lawrence's time had been engaged in two or three 
sittings ; that His rule was to have half price ; and that whatever 
cause might prevent any further wish to have the picture finished I 
could not think of leaving Him witht. a recompence. That were the 
Half price to be paid, the picture might be left witht. further notice & 
there cd. be no feeling of Lawrence having reason to complain. — He 
agreed with me in these sentiments. — 



Wilkie's Good Sense 

He then spoke of Wilkie, & told me that feeling He had a picture of 
His painting (The Blind Fidler), at a price much below its value, He 
yesterday sent Him a draft for Fifty guineas in addition to Fifty guineas 
which He had before paid Him, and had also given Him a small picture 
by Teniers valued at Thirty guineas. Having stated this He shewed 
me a letter which Wilkie yesterday afternoon left at His House, written 
with good sense and feeling, acknowledging His kindness, declaring 
that He had already been paid amply, & begging to decline accepting 
any further remuneration. I was very much pleased with the letter 
& with the propriety with which it was written. Wilkie further ac- 
knowledged His obligation to Sir George, who had lent him the picture 
for Messrs. Boy dell's to have an engraving made from it, for which they 
had agreed to pay Wilkie 50 guineas. Lord Mulgrave thought this too 
little ; & Sir George spoke of what Wilkie might have made by opening 
a subscription for an engraving from this picture. I said, That if such a 



1810] Wilkie's Good Sense 57 

plan had been adopted it shd. have been at the period when the picture 
was exhibited & was the object of universal admiration, & that had Wilkie 
told me that Messrs. Boydell had now made Him such an offer I should 
have thought it a fair proposal. — 

[The Steers figure in previous volumes, but are not important. They acted as Faring- 
ton's brokers. Valentine Green, A.R.A., the eminent engraver, appears in Vols. I., III., 
IV., v., but mainly as Keeper of the British Institution. For William Miller, the book- 
seller, see Vols, IV., V. ; Messrs. Boydell, the publishers, are mentioned in all the volumes.] 



CHAPTER XVII 

1810 

Sir George Beaumont and Haydon 

May 7.— Sir George spoke of Haydon* & said He had been very 
unpleasantly circumstanced with respect to Him : That He gave Haydon 
a commission to paint a picture leaving the choice of subject to Himself. 
Haydon chose a Scene in Macbeth. Sir George desired that the picture 
& the figures might be of the size of West's Pylades & Orestes. Haydon 
afterwards expressed [a wish] to paint the picture on a whole length 
Canvass. Sir George comphed with His wish, but having come to 
London in January last, He saw the figures drawn in upon the Canvass 
& saw that they were of a size which He particularly disHked, — something 
less than the hfe, & looking Hke a race of little men. He then objected 
to them ; but at Haydon's desire, He was to finish the picture thus 
begun & shd. not Sir George then like it, He was to paint another of the 
size which Sir George preferred. After Sir George returned to Dunmow 
a correspondence upon that subject commenced. 

Sir George urged that the figures of the size of the three Mary's for 

* A correspondent writes : References to Haydon in the Farington Diary vividly 
indicating his lack of mental balance, recall the fact that, notwithstanding the hyper- 
sensitiveness, egotism, and impulsive tactlessness which hastened his death, he rendered 
great service to his country and to the art he loved. At a time when art industries in this 
country had declined almost to the point of extinction he persistently advocated State 
organisation of culture in industrial art. He went down into the country, lectured In the 
great cities and Industrial centres, discussed his views with manufacturers, and seized every 
opportunity to persuade politicians and ministers of the value of such culture. There is 
little doubt that his efforts in creating the movement for State-aided instruction and giving 
it a vigorous and sustained Impulse strongly contributed to Its fruition. 

It was Haydon also who, when the Elgin marbles were brought to England, zealously 
defended them from the depreciatory attacks of Payne Knight, a critic of great influence, 
who was blind to their exquisite beauty : attacks which, If successful, might have kept the 
glorious Greek marbles from finding a home In the British Museum. 

Haydon's published lectures on art have been Influential in the education of young 
artists and may be read to-day with profit. They are remarkable for their clear exposition 
of salient points In abstruse elements of the subject. They were highly appreciated by 
Jules Dalou, the great French sculptor, when he was teaching In England. 

Haydon, therefore, should have not only compassion for his overwhelming misfortunes, 
but our gratitude also for his zealous and fruitful service. 

58 




Benjamin Robert Haydon, Paikier. 
By Himself. 



[To face p. 58. 



1810] Haydon's Mind Deranged 59 

which Anibal Carrach had been celebrated two centuries and a Half 
ought not to be objected to by Haydon, while the latter replied that 
He looked not to the Carrach's but to Michael Angelo & to Raphael, 
to the transfiguration & to the Crucifixion. Thus the matter stood 
when Sir George returned to London. 

He then called upon Haydon, objections were repeated ; Haydon 
persisted, and it finally ended in letters passing some of which from 
Haydon were such as seemed to show Him to be deranged in mind. — 
He demanded of Sir George that He might be at liberty to report to 
others what had passed between them on this subject. Sir George 
immediately consented ; & Haydon witht. delay wrote a long letter to 
Lord Mulgrave calling Him His real Patron. — Sir George dined with His 
Lordship at the Admiralty on the day in which He reed, it who shewed 
it observing that Haydon wrote like a man in a state of madness. — Sir 
George told me He wd. shew me some of Haydon's letters, & sd, that in 
his last note to Him He had declared He should not any longer continue 
to write, but wished him success. — He now added to me, that He shd. 
decline His Society, which, after the experience He had had of Him could 
not be agreeable. 

He said Wilkie, who has associated much with Haydon, condemns 
His conduct ; but says He has talents & many good qualities. — Sir 
George sd. that on receiving Haydon's last letter He did not mean to 
reply to it ; but the temper of it was such that He became alarmed 
from an apprehension that if He did not notice it Haydon might 
commit some desperate act upon Himself. He therefore wrote a few 
fines.* 

May 11. — Gilpin, who now resides at Hurley 3 miles from Marlow, 
called. He mentioned the death of Mrs. Barrett, widow of George Barrett, 
R.A. abt. 3 weeks ago. She had a paralytic stroke sometime before. 
He applied to me to know [if] the youngest daugr. of Mrs. Barrett could 
request assistance from the Academy ; she had long lived with & 
assisted Her mother. I told Him I wd. apply for Her, upon Her ex- 
plaining to me the nature of Her situation. 



Alarming Times 

May 14. — Calcott called to-day. He mentioned that Thomson was 
gone to Portsmouth by advice of Carlisle to bathe in the Sea for his 
Rheumatick complaint, — the Hot Sea Bath. — He spoke of the Times 
as being very alarming. The people now cheer the Foot-guards, and 
insult & attack the Horse-guards, since the riots caused by Sir F. Burdett's 

* See Haydon's Memoirs. 



60 The Farington Diary [I810 

commitment. — He spoke of the weakness & impolicy of the present 
administration, & of the imprudent lengths they had gone. — 

[In the newspaper (The Day)^ this morning appears the following 
advertisement — 

" Architectural Lectures." 

" Preparing for the Press." A statement of the circumstances which 
are supposed to have occasioned the interruption of the Architectural 
Lectures at the Royal Academy, and the new Law of that institution, 
declaring that " No Comments or criticisms on the opinion or productions 
of living Artists in this country, should be introduced into any of the 
Lectures delivered in the Royal Academy. — To which will be added. 
Observations on some modern Buildings, with engravings of the works 
referred to." 

By John Soane, Architect, F.S.A. 
— From small note-book.] 

May 16. — Westall I called on & found Him unwell. Mr. Chamberlain 
had paid Him looo guineas for the two drawings of " The Grecian Mar- 
riage " and of " Christ receiving the little Children," & expressed Himself 
greatly pleased. 

A New Loan 

[This day in the House of Commons, Mr. Percival, Chancellor of the 
Exchequer, reported the terms on which the Loan of this year had this 
morning been contracted for, & stated that the Loan of 12 millions for 
Great Britain & Ireland, was borrowed at the interest of no more than 
^4.4. 3d. per cent, which was 8s. yd. pr. cent less than the interest of the 
Loan of last year. The Successful Bidders for the Loan were Messrs. 
Goldsmids, Son & Moxon, Baring, J. J. Angerstein, Battye, Aytoun & 
Ellis. The unsuccessful were Barnes, Steers, & Ricardo, Robarts, 
Curtis & Co. After Mr. Percival had spoken upon the subject of the 
Loan & shown how the interest of it might be provided for witht. laying 
on new Taxes, Mr. Rose [of the Treasury] sd. " We had done enough 
already for Posterity ; no country had ever made such exertions." — 
From small note-book.] 

Lord Mulgrave's Expenses 

May 22. — The conduct of Mr. Percival & of Mr. Yorke in giving up 
part of their salaries of Ofhce was condemned as improper. It was 
said Mr. Yorke's private fortune is not more than ^^900 a yr. Sir George 
sd. that Lord Mulgrave's expences while He was at the Admiralty were 
so great that He was above liooo out of pocket. — 

The dispute between Lord Radstock and the Marquiss of Lansdowne 
was mentioned. The latter was to have purchased pictures from the 
former to the amount of ,^16000 but now hesitated from an apprehension 



1810] Art in Liverpool and Leeds 61 

that many of them were not originals. — West, Lawrence & Beechey 
were today at Lord Radstock's to inspect these pictures, & having wrote 
their opinion sealed it up to be opened at a time specified.* 

[The Artists of Liverpool, held a meeting at the Crown & Anchor 
Tavern in that Town on the 30th. of March 18 10, & it was Resolved 
Unanimously, to have an Annual Exhibition in that Town ; that it shd. 
be opened on Wednesday August first 18 10 & that works of Art shd. be 
reed, for that purpose from the 2nd. of July to the 14th. 1810 ; and that 
the Exhibition shd. be at the Gothic rooms & Gallery, Marble St. — 

An Exhibition of works of Art, painting & Sculpture, & drawings at 
Leeds in Yorkshire, entitled " The Exhibition of the Northern Society," 
— was opened in April or May this year. — From small note-book.] 

[See Volumes II., III., IV., for references to George Barrett, R.A. ; II., III., to Charles 
Phillip Yorke, statesman, and III., V., to John, second Marquess of Lansdowne.] 

* Lord Radstock's collection was sold in 1826, and the principal pictures realised com- 
paratively small prices. See Vols. III.^ IV., V. 



CHAPTER XVIII 

1810 

Chevalier D'Eon 

May 28. — Danl. & Saml. Lysons called on their way to St. Pancrass 
Church where the funeral of the Chevalier D'Eon was to take place, 
I went there and was present at the funeral. [The Rev.] Danl. Lysons 
officiated. The body was brought in a Hearse, attended by two mourn- 
ing Coaches, and two Carriages of Gentlemen. — It was interred within 
the Church near the entrance from the West door — The inscription on 
the Cofhn was as follows ; viz : 

Genevieve Louis Charles Auguste Andre Timothy, D'Eon de Beau- 
mont ne Octr. 17, 1727 Obit May 21, 1810 AEtatis Suae 83. 

Saml. Lysons told me that at Sir Joseph Banks's last night there was 
a frivolous dispute whether the person now dead was not another & not 
the real Madame D'Eon, as the Chevalier had long been called. This 
doubt seemed to have been founded on many years having elapsed with- 
out anything having been heard of this person. But during much of 
this time He had been imprisoned for debt, and was not dead, as was 
conjectured. — Madame Cole, a French woman, who was born in the same 
town with D'Eon, & was of the same age, lived with him during the last 
25 years, & never supposed but that He was a woman. It appears that 
in infancy such was the form of parts of His body as to cause Him to be 
taken for a girl ; but at the age of 14 other signs appeared & He then 
assumed man's apparel & entered into the Army. In 1777 a trial took 
place in the Court of King's Bench respecting His Sex in consequence 
of many wagers having been laid, & the Frenchman came forward & swore 
to His being a woman, & satisfied the Jury that it was so. From this 
period He wore the dress of a woman till His death, when His Sex was 
fully manifested.— [See D.N.B.] 

Windham's Illness 

Saml. Lysons spoke of the indisposition of Mr. Windham. At a 
fire in Fred : North's* House He assisted in removing books ; & while 

* The Hon. Frederick North, afterwards fifth Earl of Guildford. See Vol. V., page 187. 

62 



1810] Forcing the Dardanelles 63 

doing so, fell & bruised His Hip. After a time a small swelling appeared 
which increased to the size of an Egg. It was lately cut out by Mr. Lind 
a Surgeon, a very severe operation, it being in the fleshy part of the Hip. 
Much fever was caused by it, & Dr. Blane sd. at Sir Joseph Banks's 
last night, that Mr. Windham was a bad subject for disease, His con- 
stitution being in a bad state, & added, " Within the last twelve months 
I cured Him of a Dropsy." 

June 1. — Admiral [Charles] Boyles told me that while He com- 
manded the Windsor Castle, in passing through the Dardanelles with 
4 other Men of War, where the passage is not more than a quarter of a 
mile wide, several shot were fired upon them from pieces of Ordnance 
of a prodigious Caliber. One of these shot hit the Windsor Castle, & 
lodged in the Main-mast. It was a piece of Granite, made round & 
smooth & was 800 pounds in weight. — I shewed Him Wm. Daniell's 
etchings from Dance's Heads, & proposed to him to sit to Dance which 
He agreed to. — 

June 2. — At 10 I called on the Bishop of Salisbury, & shewed him 
a number of Cadell & Davis's Heads, and mentioned to Him their wish 
to have a portrait of His Lordship. He demurred a little from an appre- 
hension of being ostentatious to have his portrait so published. This I 
combated ; and He sd. He wd. give me an answer in a few days. He 
sd. Mrs. Fisher wd. be an advocate for it. — Coll. Fisher, Brother to the 
Bishop, & lately returned from Portugal was there. — He told me the 
scenery of several parts of Portugal is very fine ; particularly in the 
vicinity of Cintra. — 

June 3. — I went to St. James's Chapel ; and afterwards called 
upon Dance & settled with [him] for Rear Admiral Boyles to sit to 
Him for His Portrait on Wednesday next. — Dance told me that He 
was on the point of quitting His situation as City Surveyor, it having 
been after much difficulty allowed that He had a right to nominate His 
Successor viz : to alienate the office ; on the ground that He payed 
for the situation ; which He did to His Father. — He signified to me 
that He shd. make proper conditions with Him (Montague) to whom 
He shd. give up the appointment. — He expressed a great desire to be 
reHeved from the pressure of business. — 

Windham Dying 

H. Hamond* saw PhiHps, the Surgeon, to-day, who told Him that 
sometime ago Mr. Windham asked for His opinion of the swelling which 
He, Mr. W. felt in His Hip. Phihps, on examining it, found that the 
swelHng was deeply seated in the fleshy part, so as to make it almost 
difficult to feel it. He asked Mr. Windham whether He suffered any 

* The Rev. Horace Hamond. See Index, Vol, HI. 



64 The Farington Diary [I810 

pain or inconvenience from it, to which Mr. W. repUed in the negative. 
PhiHps then said, He thought it wd. be best to leave it to Nature to absorb 
it, or to work it up to a state of suppuration, when it might be opened 
and treated properly. Possibly nothing of any consequence might have 
arisen from it, & Mr. Windham might have lived lo years longer. He 
is now abt. 60. — After this, Mr. Windham consulted Homey the Surgeon, 
who was for having it cut out, & gave as a reason that if He should 
strike His Hip against a table ; or in any other way bruise it, it wd. be 
disagreeable. — The result was that Mr. Windham resolved to have 
the swelling cut out, & the operation was performed by Lind, the Surgeon. 
The inflammation which followed was more than His constitution could 
bear & this day He was reported to be dying. — 

Academy of Engravers 

June 4. — Landseer called. His mind full of consideration of a 
Plan for forming a Society & Academy of Engravers, patronised by the 
Duke of Gloucester, Lord Dartmouth &c. who have met at the Clarendon 
Arms, Bond Street, for that purpose. He said a Chaleographic Society 
of Engravers had already been formed consisting of some eminent artists 
& others who were of little note ; but that this had been done witht. 
the concurrence of Sharpe, Heath, Holloway &c. [Engravers.] — He, 
Landseer, had had conversations with Mr. Whitbread M.P. upon the 
subject, & had stated doubts of objections to this plan, & Mr. W. had 
desired Him to write His sentiments which He, Mr. W. would read 
at the next meeting. — Landseer saw the probability of a Lectureship 
on Engraving if the proposed Academy should be established ; but 
He had still His mind upon the Royal Academy for a similar situation. — 

[See previous volumes for references to Sir Joseph Banks.] 



CHAPTER XIX 

1810 

Windham's Death 

June 4. — Lawrence wrote & informed me of the death of Mr. 
Windham, M.P.* who died this forenoon at | past Eleven oClock, [at his 
house in Pall Mall, in the sixty-first year of his age.] He afterwards 
called & shewed me a letter from Lord Aberdeen who was desirous to 
have a Cast taken from Mr. Windham's face. — I went with Him to 
Reynolds' the Engraver, & He took from thence a Half length portrait 
of Mr. Windham, painted by him. — He told me He had heard that 
Carlisle the Surgeon, was against the operation being performed which 
caused Mr. W's death ; & He had heard that Dr. Baillie had said that 
Mr. Windham's body was in a very bad state ; — that His flesh was like 
Horse-flesh. — 

Doctors Differ 

June 5. — I was at Home till past 4 oClock, when Westall called 
upon me to desire me to go with Him to His House to see a drawing 
made by His Brother, — a view of London Bridge, which I thought 
the best of His productions. — He, & John Aytoun,t told me that Carlisle 
the Surgeon, had informed them that He belonged to a Club which met 
at the Thatched House Tavern, of which Mr. Windham was a member, 

* William Windham (1750-1810) was Secretary at War, under Pitt, and after a period 
in opposition, he in 1806 joined the " Ministry of All the Talents." He has been often 
mentioned in the Diary : See Index, Vols. I. to V. Windham himself kept a Diary, which 
was published in 1866, and the " Windham Papers," in two volumes, with an introduction 
by Lord Rosebery, was issued in 1913. Macaulay said that Windham was " the first 
gentleman of his age, the ingenious, the chivalrous, the high-souled Windham." Fanny 
Burney said of him : " He is one of the most agreeable, spirited, well-bred, and brilliant 
conversers I have ever spoken with," and Wraxall declared that " his conversation displayed 
the treasures of a highly-cultivated understanding." 

Windham and Farington were associated. On May 29, 1794, Windham told Marchant, 
R.A., that he saw Farington " in the Gallery of the House of Commons, and that he, 
Windham, supposed Farington to be a Democrat." Marchant, in reply, said that Wind- 
ham was quite mistaken, " for I was a violent aristocrat." 

t A water-colour painter. See Vol. V. 

VOL. VL 65 5 



66 The Farington Diary [I810 

& Mr. W. had asked His opinion of the swelhng, which had formed in 
His Hip. Carhsle disuaded Him from having recourse to any operation. 
— Carhsle also informed them that the operation of cutting the part out 
lasted two Hours & that the pain was excessive. After it was over Mr. 
Windham said He should die in consequence of it. — Carlisle has spoken 
of the times & said " We were upon the brink of a E.evolution." 

Mrs. Windham did not Know 

June 6. — Lawrence I dined with. Lawrence sd. He had seen 
Lady Crew,* who told him that she had been to Mrs. Burke's at Beacons- 
field, with Mrs. Windham, and that while they were there Mr. Windham 
came one evening at Eleven or twelve oClock. He returned to town 
in a day or two, on the Saturday previous to the Monday on which the 
operation which caused His death, was performed. He never mentioned 
it to Mrs. Windham, but settled with Her that she should come to town 
on the Monday following, — having appointed the Surgeons to come to 
Him in the morn'g. of that day. — When Mrs. Windham returned she 
found Him in bed, from which He never again arose. — During the last 
twelve Hours of His life He was insensible. — 

Constable a Candidate 

June 8. — Constable called, having, He said, been advised to do 
so by Stothard who was of opinion that He shd. put down His name 
as a Candidate to be an Associate. I told Him I thought it would be 
adviseable so to do, as it wd. bring His name into notice, & that however 
uncertain it may be whether he would succeed or not at present it 
would keep Him in the minds of the Members. — 

Turner's Gallery I went to, & there met [John] Taylor, Prince Hoare, 
& Richd. Smirke — P. Hoare mentioned to me a strange circumstance 
as He said. He, Sir H. Englefield, Hearne, Alexander, Edridge and 
Wilkie, dined at a House lately. The Lady, in the evening went to a 
party, & they remained together and at Eleven oClock were in agreeable 
conversation, when suddenly the Lady came in & Sans Ceremonie, 
solicited Her Husband to go instantly to Lady Cork's to see Mrs. 
Abingdonf dressed in the costume of Queen EHzabeth. This in a 
moment broke up the party, who went away feeling the singularity of 
this strange interruption. 

The Best Speaker in the Lords 

June 9. — At 10 called on the Bishop of SaHsbury who told me He 
had been kept up this morning at the House of Lords, till 4 oClock, 
during a debate on the Spanish business. The Marquiss of Lansdowne 
the mover of the question. — He sd. the Marquess of Wellesley made a 

• Wife of the first Lord Crewe. See Vols. II., III., IV., V. 
t The actress. 




William Windham, Statesman. 
By John Hoppner, engvaved by S. W. Reynolds, 



[To face p. 66. 



1810] Dr. Hughes 67 

very able speech, — That Lord Grey is the best speaker in that House ; — 
Lord Wellesley the second ; and Lord Grenville & Lord Lansdowne, the 
3d. & fourth. — He sd. Lord Grenvilles speeches are generally very long, 
& somewhat monotonous, wanting variety. — His Lordship has been much 
indisposed, with a complaint in His Head, which causes some alarm, as 
His father, the late George Grenville, died of a disorder in His Head, 
the bone being carious. 

The Bishop authorised me to inform Cadell & Davis that they might 
publish a print from Northcote's picture of Him & that He wd. give 
them some matter for the Biographical acct. — He gave me a trait of our 
friend the Revd. Dr. Hughes, Canon of St. Paul's. — A few years ago [he] 
bought a Lease of an estate held under the Dean & Chapter of Windsor 
for ;£5ooo- One of the persons, a life in the Lease, lately died ; & on 
applying to the Dean & Chapter to put in a new Hfe, Dr. Hughes instead 
of paying the usual fine, informed them that they ought to ask more 
than the Sum hitherto paid, as the property was of greater value than 
they had rated it at. — 

An Artist's Fund 

[On the 7th. inst. at the Freemason's tavern [says the Sun\ the first 
General meeting of the Friends of the Institution for forming " An Artists 
Fund "* took place ; comprising 80 Artists besides Visitors & Amateurs. 
Mr. A. W. Devis took the chair, and was supported by Mr. Turnerelli as 
Vice-President. Mr. Devis read a list of Donations paid to Him & Mr. 
Turnerelli, t amounting to a considerable sum, and containing the names 
of several of the nobility & wealthy Commoners, who patronize the 
Arts. At the table Mr. Soane, Professor of Architecture in the Royal 
Academy, made a Donation of Fifty guineas, & a considerable further 
Sum was subscribed. — " The Royal Academy ", " British Institution ", 
— " Caleographic Society ", " Mr. Soane, & Sir Nathaniel Dance (who 
was present) Success to the Artists Fund," and many other appropriate 
toasts, were given. A Committee had been formed sometime before & 
a general meeting was held on the 22nd. of March last at the Freemason's 
tavern, where several Resolutions were agreed to, and where a joint-stock- 
Fund was then established, as well as a Benevolent or Charitable Fund, 
intended solely for the relief of the widows and orphans of the Artists 
who are Members. — The Annual Meeting was announced for the 22nd. 
of March next. — From small note-book.] 

The King and the Worst Academy 

June 11. — At \ past one oClock met Yenn at the Academy and 
audited the accts. of the Lady-day quarter. — Howard came ; we talked 
of disputes between the Housekeeper & Fuseli & of the necessity of 

* The Artists' Fund is still in existence. The Right Hon. Earl Ferrers is the President, 
Percy Edsall the Secretary, and the address is 6|, Suffolk Street, S.W. 

t Peter Turnerelli, sculptor to the Princess of Wales. 

VOL. VI. 5* 



68 The Farington Diary [I8I0 

regulating the Academy establishment. Yenn pressed me to let Him 
have a drawing of kine. He sd. if the Council could have done it, they 
should have voted to Dance & me ;£ioo each. — Yenn told me that on 
the King's Birthday His Majesty asked him How the Exhibition rects. 
went on. Yenn replied not so great as those of last year. The King 
then sd. He was not surprised at it as He was told that the present 
Exhibition is the worst the Academy ever shewed. Yenn sd. the Ex- 
hibition contained many fine works & mentioned some. The King 
repeated what He had said & added that He had been told so by several 
gentlemen. 

Dr. Hughes spoke of the living of St. Pancrass & of the probabiHty 
of His taking it shd. Mr. Champneys, the Vicar die, in which case He wd. 
exchange it for Massingham if H. Hamond wd. agree to it, who assented. 

[See previous volumes for references to Prince Hoare and Dr. Thomas Hughes ; II., III., 
IV., v., to WilHam Wyndham and first Lord Grenville ; III., IV., V., to A. W. Devis, artist.] 



CHAPTER XX 

1810 

A Breach of Trust 

June 13. — Dr. Hughes I dined with.— Dr. Cookson* told us that 
the Queen & the Princesses have lately sustained a considerable loss in 
consequence of having intrusted a man of the name of Bolton to be 
their Paymaster of various accounts. He had made away with the 
money instead of paying it, & to a large amount. He had been their 
writing master ; & since He was detected, Has made a set off from their 
claim upon Him, making them indebted to Him for teaching them to 
write to the amount of ^^40,000. In His charge He reckons the time He 
gave to them for this purpose at 3 guineas an Hour. — He was, till this 
discovery, writing master to the Princess Charlotte of Wales. — The 
Princess Elizabeth is rendered so poor by this defalcation, as to have let 
Her cottage at Old Windsor for a Season, for ;^I50. — 

Windham and the Sacrament 

The late Mr. Windham was of University College Oxford, at the time 
when Dr. Fisher, Master of the Charter House & Brother to the present 
Bishop of Salisbury was there. After Sir Willm. Scottf left that College 
of which He was Tutor, Dr. Fisher became Tutor. His acquaintance 
with Mr. Windham continued throughout life. The day before the 
operation was performed upon Mr. Windham which caused His death, 
He went to the Charter House, & privately reed, the Sacrament from Dr. 
Fisher ; Mrs. Fisher was present & received it with Him. Mr. Windham 
was much affected. — 

Dr. Cookson said He had been with the Duke of Cumberland and sat 

* Dr. Hughes was Prebendary of St. Paul's Cathedral, and Dr. WiUiam Cookson. Canon 
of Windsor, was Wordsworth's uncle. See references to Dr. William Cookson in Vols. 11. , 
III. and V. 

t Sir William Scott (1745-1836) became celebrated as a Judge and was raised to the 
Peerage as Baron Stowell of Stowell Park, in Gloucestershire. He was the eldest son (Lord 
Eldon the third) of WilUam Scott, of Newcastle-on-Tyne, who is described variously as a 
" hoastman," " coal fitter," or " coal shipper," and a small publican. See Vols. I. to V. 

69 



70 The Farington Diary [I810 

with Him sometime. He found him in a very nervous state, supposed 
to be owing to the large quantities of Laudanum which He takes witht. 
which He has no rest. He suffers much pain ; & is much afflicted with 
spasms. — One of the servants at Carlton House where the Duke now is, 
told Dr. Cookson that the Prince of Wales is much affected by the Duke's 
illness, " more so," He added, " than either His mother or His sisters 
appear to be." He went on and said, " when ever any of the Prince's 
family are indisposed He feels for them." 

A Committee of Taste 

June 14. — Rossi called ; & talked abt. the " Committee of Taste " 
and their decissions. — He repeated that He wd. not again become a 
Competitor subject to decissions. At the decissions for the monuments 
of Sir John Moore, & Captn. Hardinge, — Sir George Beaumont, Mr. Thos. 
Hope, & Lord Carysfort were for Rossi, — while Chas. Long, — Bankes, & 
Payne Knight with another or two were for Bacon. A mason, who 
resides somewhere near Paddington told Rossi that He had been employed 
to do some masonry work for C. Long, who during their intercourse asked 
Him Whether He had a Son, a Sculptor, as if He had. He (C. Long) 
might be able to obtain for Him one of the public monuments. — Ward 
had called upon Rossi on acct. of the ensuing election of Academicians. 
— Rossi told Him Westmacott wd. be in His way. He replied, that He 
believed Westmacott wd. not be supported. 

Beauty and the Beast 

June 15. — Ward called to invite me to dine with Him on Saturday 
June 23rd. — Dubost's Exhibition I went to, & saw His picture represent- 
ing Mr. & Mrs. Thomas Hope as a Beast & a Beauty. [See entry June 
22.] 

[In the Court of King's Bench, this day, William Cobbett was found 
guilty of a Libel tending to Sedition, in having improperly commented 
on the German Legion having been employed to quell a meeting of the 
Local Militia of the Isle of Ely in June 1809. — From small note-book.] 

June 16. — Ward called & I had some conversation with him respect- 
ing filling the vacancies of Academicians deceased. He said He had 
met with great encouragement ; & had found that Wilkie, — Robt. 
Smirke, — & Westmacott were also mentioned. — Wm. Daniell called to 
desire me to assist Dance with an acct. of Hodges for His publication 
of Heads. — He said Humphry's nephew had informed Him that at one 
period the Nabob [Vizier of Oude] who was indebted to Humphry [for] 
abt. ^3000* wd. have paid the principal but Humphry insisted upon 
interest with it and got nothing. 

* Dr. Williamson in the " Life and Work of Ozias Humphry," says that the sum was 
/4,6oo, and that the artist never received a penny of it for the reasons given in the above 
entry. The loss of this money " greatly embittered the later years of the artist." See 
Vols. I. to V. 



1810] Thefts from the R.A. ri 

June 17. — Trinity Sunday. — Went to St. James's Chapel. — The 
Royal Academy I went to at 3 oClock, the Exhibition having closed 
yesterday. The Duke of Cambridge was there with 3 gentlemen & 3 
Ladies ; and after He left the Academy, The Duke of Gloucester came, 
attended by two gentlemen. Sir Willm. Beechey was with the Duke of 
Cambridge ; and Mr. West with the Duke of Gloucester. — Howard was 
there & informed me that yesterday Cosway's small Probation picture* 
was taken ovit of the Frame & carried away by some person unknown ; 
& that a small picture by [ ] was cut out of the Frame & carried 

away ; it was a work of no value. — He asked my opinion abt. advertising 
it. I told him I shd. not advise it, or have it known to the public that 
such thefts might be committed ; & that it wd. [be] better to station 
more persons in the rooms to guard against ill-disposed persons. — 

[In the newspaper, " The Examiner," the Duke of Kent published a 
series of declarations of His private Secretary, Major Dodd, exonerating 
His Royal Highness from having attempted or having any design to 
injure the Character of His Brother, the Duke of York. — From small 
note-book.] 

Buonaparte 

June 20. — Field of Bristol called & spoke to me abt. His Colours, 
His Lakes. — 

Lord Lonsdale's I dined at. — Buonaparte was talked of. C. Long 
said " If Buonaparte could have foreseen the resistance He wd. meet 
with in Spain He never wd. have attempted the subjugation of that 
country." — Lord Alvanley being in the Army was at Walcheren. He 
said that such of the Soldiers as had the Walcheren fever, appeared to 
have their constitutions injured at the root. Although in appearance 
they might seem to be restored to health, it was found they could no 
longer undergo common fatigue — 

We sat down to dinner at 20 minutes past 7. — The Ladies sat till 10 
minutes past 9, & we went to tea at 10. — Nine servants waited, — there 
was a profusion of massy silver & gold plate. — Champaigne &c. were 
served, viz. : Vin de grave, &c. — 



Sir Joshua's Friend 

Lord Lonsdale told me that when Mr. Metcalff was a young man He 
was placed in a Commercial House ; but having paid His addresses to 
a daugr. of the family. He was obliged to quit His situation. He then 
went abroad, to various parts, and returned to England wholly witht. 

* The study of " Venus and Cupid," which was stolen, was evidently returned, for a 
work of that name represents Cosway in the Diploma Gallery at Burlington House. 

t Philip Metcalfe, friend of Joshua Reynolds and one of his executors. See Vols. I. to IV. 



T2 The Farington Diary [I810 

employment. He accidentally met an old acquaintance who enquired 
How He was situated, & on being informed that He had everything to 
seek, made Him an offer to take Him into a House of distillery which 
belonged to Himself. Metcalf accepted the offer, & in time became a 
Partner & eventually the Head of the House in which He has made a 
large fortune. Though blind He is very chearful, & receives company 
& visits His friends — 

[This day the Sum of ^34000 was paid into the Stamp Ofhce being 
for the Legacy Duty on the funded property of the late Henry Cavendish 
Esqr. of Clapham Common. — From small note-book.] 

[See previous volumes for references to John C. F. Rossi, R.A., Sir Richard Westmacott, 
R.A., Charles Long, afterwards Lord Farnborough, and Thomas Hope ; Vol IV., to Henry 
Bankes, politician and author, and I., II., IV., V., to William Cobbett.] 



CHAPTER XXI 

1810 

By Boat from the Tower 

June 21. — I walked to the Academy & saw the Strand crowded with 
people & the windows filled with Spectators w^aiting to see Sir Francis 
Burdett brought in procession from the Tower. — Lawrence I dined with. 
He had been to the Tower with Lysons & saw Lord Moira take leave of 
Sir Francis Burdett, the Parliament having been this afternoon prorogued. 
— A vast cavalcade had assembled on Tower Hill, waiting to attend Sir 
Francis in procession, but He covered with a great Coat, walked to the 
Tower stairs & got into a Boat to go home by water ; to the great disap- 
pointment of the people. 

The Windham Operation 

June 22. — [Dr.] Carlisle I called on to ask His opinion of a strain in 
my left Hip. He spoke of the late Mr, Windham, who abt. 3 weeks before 
the operation was performed upon Him asked His (Carlisle's) opinion 
respecting an operation. Carlisle's answer was for the negative. He 
then told me that Mr. Windham was in reality a very nervous man ; 
and that when the persons who were to perform the operation & to 
superintend it were assembled, viz : Messrs. Home, Lind & the Apothe- 
cary ; Mr. Windham was for sometime very irresolute. He walked 
about His room in His night gown, & told them, that though He had 
sent for them to perform the operation He now felt Himself not to be 
ready to submit to it, that He found He was not a Man constituted for 
such a purpose : At last, however, He determined to have it performed. 
Lind performed the operation, & the Cutting part lasted 20 minutes, 
during which Mr. Windham occasionally spoke to them, expressing 
His feeling of the severity of it, & of the length of the time it took. 
After it was over He said He " should never recover from it," & He 
continued to think so till His death. For 4 or 5 days Home entertained 
an expectation of His recovery ; but the wound never shewed a good 
disposition. Carlisle believed that a membranae which covers the bone 
was injured & that it suppurated, which was certain to be followed by 
death. 

73 



74 The Farington Diary [I810 

A Good Cutter 

His opinion upon the whole was that Mr. Windham's apothecary 
& Lind had no apprehension of danger from the operation, & that they 
encouraged Him, or at least that the Apothecary did, to undergo it, 
having in their view the profit which wd. arise from it, & the credit of 
having successfully performed an operation on a person so distinguished. 
— Carlisle seemed to think but little of Lind as a man of professional 
judgment, but that He Had been talked of by some as being a good 
Cutter. — With respect to an apprehension of a Cancer forming in the part, 
Carlisle sd. there was no reason to fear it, — that a Cancer in such a situa- 
tion had not been known. — The loss of blood which Mr. Windham 
suffered was trifling, not in all probability Half a pint, therefore He was 
not essentially weakened by that ; but the endurance of exquisite pain 
for so long a time as He felt it must have had a great effect upon His 
constitution ; adding that severe pain will & does kill persons. It is 
the pain suffered which causes persons who have fallen into boiling 
water to die in a very short time. Human constitution cannot support 
it. Mr. Windham felt overcome by it. — 

Wilson and Portrait Painting 

Mr. Angerstein's I dined at. — Mr. Wm. Locke mentioned to me what 
I had heard from the late Richd. Wilson, R.A. that He travelled from 
Venice to Rome with Mr. Locke Senr. & made many Sketches on the way. 
Mr. Locke was one of those who recommended to Him to give up Portrait 
Painting and to devote Himself to Landscape. — He spoke of the Collection 
of drawings which Mr. Locke had from Wilson, & should be glad to shew 
them to me. — 

The late James Barry was spoken of, & the great patronage which 
was offered to Him, He having Mr. Burke, Sir Joshua Reynolds, &c. 
&c. His friends, but He lost all by His capricious & rude behaviour. 
Fuseli said " He was an Impostor," — meaning that He had not the 
ability, or the virtue He pretended to. — 

A Mutilated Picture 

Mrs. Wm. Locke, (ci-devant the beautiful Miss Jennings) told us 
that on Wednesday last Mr. Beresford, Brother to Mrs. Thomas Hope, 
went to Dubosts Exhibition in Pall-mall, & with a Knife cut to pieces 
the picture in which Thomas Hope* was caricatured as a Beast, holding 

* Thomas Hope (1770 .^-1831), author of " Anastasius," a romance, and an art collector, 
was the eldest son of John Hope, of Amsterdam. Thomas and other members of his family 
came to England in 1796, after the occupation of Holland by the French, and he married on 
April 1 6th, 1806, Louisa Beresford, daughter of William de laPoer Beresford, Lord Decies, 
Archbishop of Tuam. Antoine Dubost, a native of Lyons, quarrelled with Hope over the 
price of a picture, and in revenge painted the caricature referred to. 

The Morning Post on Saturday, June 23rd, 18 10, says : " We have just been informed of 
a very extraordinary occurrence which took place on Wednesday at Mr. Dubost's exhibition 



1810] Stroehling a German 75 

His beautiful wife by the Hand, she represented as terrified and 
distressed, — which we thought a natural & proper way of treat- 
ing it. — 

Mr. Angerstein gave me a letter written by young Mr. Lambton of 
Durham to Mr. Wilson His guardian, stating that He had inadvertently 
sat for His portrait & also had one of His sister painted by Stroehling* 
a German, resident Here. He expected to pay ^50 a picture, but Stroeh- 
ling charged /I500 for each, and had obtained a Bond from this young 
man who is abt. 17 years old. — 

June 23. — Miss Barrett daugr. of the late George Barrett R.A. called 
& delivered a letter addressed to me by Her stating Her situation as 
distressed, since the death of Her mother, some debts, abt. ^25 being 
left. She wished to obtain a situation as Companion to a Lady or to 
take care of a Child, She said she did not remember Her Father, who 
died in 1784 or 5, and had never known anything but difficulty. Mr. 
Locke Senr. had given Her hope of obtaining an annual allowance from 
the Royal Academy & I said probably she might obtain ;£io a year. I 
directed Her to write a letter to the President & Council which I would 
deliver 

James Ward's Prices 

Ward's I dined at.f Ward shewed us a picture of a Grey Horse 
which He had just finished for Lord Clive ; & we thought it the best He 

of paintings in Pall-mall. Amongst the pictures was one which attracted the notice of all 
the fashionables, called ' La Belle et la Bete,' an allegorical painting, most beautifully 
executed, but supposed to be a satirical representation of a scene in high life. . . . The 
picture, being a chef d^auvre^ was estimated at great value ; and as Mr. Dubost intends to 
bring an action for the damage sustained, this case, which we believe to be unprecedented, 
will soon come before a Jury," 

In the action for damages Dubost obtained only £c,. On Saturday, June 30th, Dubost 
closed his exhibition, at which was shown, in addition to " Beauty and the Beast," " A 
View of Hyde Park." In the production of this famous landscape Dubost " exerted all 
his powers . . . and the best praise is," says a newspaper, " that it has attracted during 
the exhibition the notice of all the Nobility and Gentry. Amongst whom were — The 
Prince of Wales, the Duke of York, the Princess Charlotte, Duchess of York, &c." 

Dubost contributed to the Royal Academy in 1806 " The Preparation for a Horse Race " 
(which was highly praised in the Diary for that year), " The Adieu of Brutus and of Portia," 
and " Mrs. T. Hope and Son " In 1808. He was shot in a duel in Paris in 1825. 

* This evidently is P. E. Stroehhng, the Russian, who was educated at the expense of 
the Tsar, He began to exhibit at the Royal Academy in 1803, his contributions in that 
year representing " Louisa, Queen of Prussia," and " Peter the Great of Russia." A portrait 
by him of the Duchess of York is at Buckingham Palace. Pictures by him did not appear 
in the Academy after 1826. (See next Chapter of the Diary.) 

t James Ward, who was elected a Royal Academician in 181 1, was a brother of William 
Ward, the engraver, and a brother-in-law of George Morland, the artist. James's son, 
George Raphael Ward, also was an engraver, and his daughter, Henrietta, a very clever 
artist, died in 1925. She was the widow of E. Matthew Ward, R.A,, and mother of Leslie 
Ward (Spy), the famous caricaturist of Vanity Fair. 



76 The Farington Diary [1810 

had painted, and very fine. He sd. He had now raised His price of 
Portraits of Horses from 30 to 40 guineas. He told me He was fully 
employed, having ten pictures bespoke, & slid, remain in London during 
the Summer, as He could not afford His time to be dissipated by going 
to the country to make sketches. — 

At Eleven oClock I was left alone with Ward ; but Beechey soon 
came in. He told us that He has now 13 children, & it being Holyday 
time they are all at Home. — Stroehling's conduct to young Mr. Lambton 
was mentioned by Bourgeois. West sd. He was not surprised at it, & 
that Stroehling has been remarkable for depreciating the works of British 
Artists. — 

June 24. — I went to St. James's Chapel, where rain was prayed for, 
the dry weather having continued an uncommon length of time. — 

[See previous volumes for references to Francis, second Earl of Moira, afterwards first 
Marquess of Hastings, Richard Wilson, R.A., James Barry, R.A., Edmund Burke ; I., II. 
IV., to Mrs. William Locke ; III., to Lord Clive, and V. to Antoine Dubost.] 



CHAPTER XXII 

1810 

A Generous Patron 

June 26. — Called on Mr. West who told me that on Sunday last Mr. 
Hart Davies, of Bristol, Member for Colchester, called upon Him, & asked 
Him whether He would dispose of His picture of " Christ & the little 
Child " exhibited this year. — West expressing no unwillingness [Hart 
Davies] offered him a thousand guineas for it ; West was struck with His 
generosity, & accepted His offer, expressing that it was a sum above any 
price He should have mentioned. — Mr. Davies sd. that having now nearly 
completed His collection of pictures by Old Masters He should make a 
collection of pictures by the best modern artists & wished West to inform 
[him] of any productions in which any of those eminent might be thought 
to have excelled. In consequence West yesterday at Mr. Knight's men- 
tioned Stothard's picture from Chaucer of the procession to Canterbury, 
& said the price which had been mentioned for it was ^200.— Mr. Davies 
immediately sd. " Purchase it for me at ^250."* 

Buonaparte and Art 

West told me that Sir Thomas Bernard had lately informed Him that 
Lord Dartmouth had applied to Mr. Percival, Chancellor of the Exchequer, 
for 3^5000 for the purpose of encouraging Historical painting ; but Mr. 
Percival had declined it. — West then spoke of the noble encouragement 
given by Buonaparte in France to Artists. Davidf since the death of 
Vienne,X is placed at the Head of the Arts, with a Salary of [1600 a year 

* This was the picture commissioned by Cromek, the engraver, but he having previously 
asked WilUam Blake to make a painting of the same subject, the breach practically ended 
the friendship betv^feen the two men. The engraving, after Stothard's picture, was a 
great success, in which the artist did not participate. All that Cromek gave him was 
£60 for the panel, which the engraver sold to Hart Davis for ;^3oo, says the D.N.B. In 
1884 it reaUsed £^6t, in the Sir P. Miles sale, and is now in the Tate Gallery. Stothard 
painted two other versions of the " Canterbury Pilgrims," one for Ritson, the other for 
John Benson, of Doncaster. 

t Jacque Louis David. See Index, Vol. II. 

X Jean P. G. Vienne [Vienuet]. See Vol. II., pages 29, 35. 

77 



78 The Farington Diary [I8I0 

and a palace to live in ; & is also to be paid to the amount of 4,000 
Louidores [Louis d'ors] for each picture He may paint for the National 
Gallery. — Vernet, son to the late Ship painter, has a Salary of ;^iooo a 
year. He paints Battles ; and for each picture is paid at prices in propor- 
tion to what David receives. — Sculptors, & other artists have also pro- 
portionate liberal encouragement. Once in 3 years a large Sum is given 
in prizes to be obtained in Competition by young artists ; and which- 
ever of them obtains the first prize for Historical painting, is made a 
Member of the Legion of Honor, & has a settlement making Him inde- 
pendent. 

I had company to dinner. Marchant mentioned that Nollekens had 
told Him that [William] Sharp the Engraver, had informed Him that in 
order to secure to himself the payment for engraving the print of Gib- 
raltar from Copley's picture. He has a man attending in Copley's House 
to receive the money for the prints as they are delivered, & this is to be 
continued till He shall have reed, the whole of what is due to Him. — 

A Commercial Speculator 

June 27. — Lord De Dunstanville called on me & we talked of my 
intended excursion to Cornwall. He spoke of His friend Sir Francis 
Baring & said Sir Francis's daugrs. had told Lady De Dunstanville that 
their Father's health is in such a state as to cause them to apprehend 
that His constitution is breaking up. — Lord De Dunstanville told me that 
Mr. Hart Davies who has purchased Mr. West's picture has been a very 
fortunate Commercial Speculator. By getting posession of all the Spanish 
Wool in the Kingdom He was said to have made ,^200,000. 

Constable and His Father 

June 28. — Constable called. He spoke of His Father still continuing 
to think that in following painting '" He is pursuing a shadow," & sd. 
that were He to be elected an Associate of the Academy it would have a 
great effect upon His Father's mind by causing Him to consider His 
situation more substantial : at present He thinks that what employment 
He has He owes to the kindness of friends. — 

The Fox and the Pigeon 

Lady Ann Wyndham's in Curzon St. I called at accompanied by Con- 
stable, & by desire of Mr. Angerstein saw two whole length portraits 
large as the life of young Mr. Lambton & Miss Fanny Lambton painted 
by StroehHng who charged ^500 a piece for them, & obtained from Mr. 
Lambton who was only 18 years old in April last a written acknowledg- 
ment of the debt. This was forced from Him by Stroehling who inces- 
santly applied to Him & wrote Him many vulgar letters. 

Mr. Angerstein I dined with. We talked of Stroehhng's charge to 
Mr. Lambton. I said such pictures charged at ^88 each wd. be well 



j;; ■' ,■ ; 



John Constable, Artist. 
By C. R. Leslie, engraved by D. Lucas. 



[To face p. 78. 



1810] The Fox and the Pigeon 79 

paid for, but ^loo would be large payment. — Mr. Angerstein asked me 
" Whether if they in standing an action at Law were to pay into Court 
^100 for each picture it wd. be sufficient." I sd. I shd. think so, that I 
had heard Stroehling had not fixed prices but varied as He saw it prudent 
to make His charge, which, if proved, wd. set aside His demand of ^(^500, 
though in some instances He might have obtained it. Lawrence thought 
the defense could only rest upon Mr. Lambton being a minor when He 
made himself liable to this extortion. — I recommended to Mr. Angerstein 
to wait till we have heard more of Stroehling, which He sd. He wd. do. 

Christie's I went to & saw Humphry's pictures, & some by Romney, 
exhibited for sale. Several Crayon Heads were among those by Hum- 
phry among which 2 were of West, — one of Daniell ; one of myself. 
Howard I met there & recommended to Him the cases of Miss Barrett 
who applies for ^25 & Mrs. Spicer for an additional donation from the 
Academy. — 

The Opera we went to, Mr. A[ngerstein] supplying us with Tickets. 
It was La Buona Figluola. — In it Catalani and Toemezzani performed. — 
In the Dance Des Hayes & Madame Des Hayes, — Vestris & Angiorline 
performed. 

June 29. — I met Mrs. Nollekens who told me of the death of De Cort* 
the landscape painter, who lived in Brewer Street. She said on Friday 
last He called upon them & sd. He was going home to dress to go out to 
dinner. He died of a fever in a few days, & at nine oClock last night. 

Farington and the Publisher 

Davis called upon me at Eleven oClock & staid with me till two. We 
looked over my sketches of views on the river Thames & of London & 
wrote a list of subjects proper for their intended publication of " Stowe^s 
Survey of London." Of these He left to me to do what I could & to 
recommend proper persons for the remainder. — I mentioned to Him at 
Smirke's desire, the wish of the latter to have the 3 Chapters of Don 
Quixotte translated by Miss Smirke inspected by proper judges, & if 
the plan & manner of it shd, be approved to have terms of remuneration 
settled. I mentioned Lawrence as being well qualified to look over this 
translation, & that in addition He might refer to any other person. — He 
approved of all I said, adding that He shd. have thought Mr. Smirke 
alone wd. have been a sufficient judge. — I mentioned Richd. Smirke as 
being highly qualified to assist them in making drawings for the Survey 
of London, of monuments, &c. — I informed Him that it had been proposed 
to make the plates finished etchings in proportion as the subject might 
require it which wd. expedite their work & make the expence moderate. 
He agreed to all that I stated. — 

[See Vols. I., II., III., IV., for Claude Joseph Vernet ; IV., V., for Catalan!.] 

* Hendrik De Cort (1742-1810), a Flemish landscape painter, settled in England, and 
from 17^0 to 1803 contributed 63 pictures to the Royal Academy. See Vol. 11., page bjn. 



CHAPTER XXIII 

1810 

Sir Joshua's Diplomacy 

June 29. — I had company to dinner. — Northcote told us that Kemble 
having written some verses which he addressed to Sir Joshua Reynolds 
read them to him, & soliciting Sir Joshua's opinion of them, the latter 
replied, " You read them so well that I cannot judge of the poetry." 
— Taylor said that Rogers being asked " How He liked Fitzgerald's 
poem of the battle of the Nile," replied, " Tavern verses."* — Yet Taylor 
insisted that there were some excellent lines in the poem. — 

Warren Hastings and the Major 

Taylor spoke of Major Scott Waring, to whom Mr. Hastings gave a 
Bond for ;£5000 for the trouble He had respecting the trial of Mr. Hastings. 
Since that period the Major has married a Miss Hughes who had before 
lived with an acquaintance of His as a Mistress. A'separation took place 
in consequence of their disagreeing, & the Major first kept & then married 
Her & they have two Children. Her temper is sd. to be bad, & she 
controuls Him, & is supposed to have caused Him to press Mr. Hastings 
for the payment of the Bond & some interest upon it, which it was not 
convenient for the latter to do : such has been the result of that connexion. 
It was by the ill-judged zeal of the Major that the trial of Mr. Hastings 
took place, which had not the Major irritated & provoked the opposition 
then in parliament, wd not have happened. t 

* Equally expressive epithets were applied to William Thomas Fitzgerald's CEuvres 
by others. It was to his annual recitations at public dinners that Byron refers in " English 
Bards and Scotch Reviewers " : 

" Still must I hear ? — Shall hoarse Fitzgerald bawl 
His creaking couplets in a tavern hall ? " 
Cobbett called him a " small beer poet." " On all public occasions his pen was ever ready," 
says the Annual Register. 

Born in England, of Irish parents, about 1759, Fitzgerald was educated at a school 
in Greenwich, and also in Paris. In 1782 he was appointed a clerk in the Navy pay office. 

t Major Scott-Waring (1747-1819), agent for Warren Hastings. In 1784-1800 he 
was M.P. for West Looe. He assumed the name of Waring on inheriting the Waring 
estates. He was married three times. Miss Hughes was his second wife, and Mrs. Esten, 
the actress, and mistress to the Duke of Hamilton, was his third wife. 

80 



1810] i Ozias Humphry's Anxiety 8i 

Taylor sd. that the night before Ozias Humphry R.A. died, He told 
His nephew that He had not long to live, & requested that as soon as He 
shd. be dead He wd. go or write to Mr. Taylor of the Sun office, and inform 
Him of it, adding " That He knew Mr. Taylor wd. not let Him go out of 
the world witht. giving some notice of Him to the public." Accordingly 
Taylor reed, the information & wrote a favorable acct of Him. Such was 
Humphry's anxiety to be held up as a Character in Society, — [See last 
paragraph of this chapter.] 

The Actor and His Wife 

Holman, the player, married Miss Frederica Hamilton, daugr. of the 
Hon : & Revd. Dr. Hamilton, but had no children by Her. After a time 
they separated, not on bad terms, but continued to have occasional 
intercourse. His plea for the separation was, that He could not in Ire- 
land, make such an appearance, support such an establishment, as it was 
fit she shd. have. She died lately, at Her lodgings in London ; much 
regretted, being a very amiable woman with considerable acquirements.* — 

Northcote sd. Lord Grey gave Him loo guineas for His picture of the 
Duke of Argyle in prison, & that He had no more for the picture of 
Hubertt painted for Boydell's Shakespeare. He added, " That He never 
had high encouragement " (large prices). 



The Finest View in Europe 

June 30. — At One oClock went with Mr. West and Edridge to Green- 
wich Park where we remained a considerable time, contemplating the 
view of London from Flamstead House, which West had formed a design 
to paint ; as being the finest of its kind in Europe.! He said He had had 
this in His mind from the time of His first coming to England, when on 
His way from Dover He left the carriage with a gentleman who had 
spoken of this situation, and when He came to this point & saw the scene 
before Him He was struck with the magnificence of it. I told Him 
I had made a drawing, a Panorama, of the whole scene, & that a part of 

* Joseph George Holman (1764-18 17) was a dramatist and actor. His wife died on 
June nth, 18 10. It is, apparently, not certain that Holman was previously married, but in 
18 12 " he took with him a daughter, who played in New York Lady Townly in The Pro- 
voked Husband, to his Lord Townly, and supported him throughout his American career." 

It is also reported that he came to England in 18 15, and married a " singer of great 
talent and distinguished beauty and merit." Both died in America, but there is some doubt 
as to the cause and date of their death. 

t If this picture was the " Hubert and Arthur in Prison," the price paid for it by 
Boydell was not much increased when Miss Linwood, the wool-working artist, bought it 
for £106 IS. at the Boydell sale in 1805. In 1873 it dropped to ;£io3 19s. 

t There is in the National Gallery a fine picture painted by Turner in 181 1, from almost 
the same point of view. 

VOL. VI. 6 



82 The Farington Diary [I810 

it including London had been engraved & published in Boydell's History 
of the Thames, which might be of use to Him as all the buildings were 
correctly put in. 

Titian Introduced Smoke 

He noticed the fine effect of the smoke rising in various forms and of 
various colours, & sd. Titian often introduced smoke into His landscapes 
for the beauty of the forms in which it might be represented, and for the 
advantage of the colour. He said that to paint this scene the way to 
proceed after drawing in the outline wd. be to lay in flats of Ariel colour 
beginning with the tint next the Horizon & making them stronger as 
they approached nearer the eye, a succession of Ariel tints. We noticed 
the effect of smoke projected from furnaces, which being discharged like 
a shot, hung in the air a separated small Cloud. 

West proposed to make Greenwich Hospital with the Colonade of the 
building in the Park His Center, having the advantage of this long line, 
& to include London on the left & Blackwall on the right of His picture. 
Edridge held a Handkerchief while West measured the proportion of 
the Canvass which wd. be required, & determined it to be in the proportion 
of three wide to two deep. — We walked to other points, affording very 
fine views of masses of trees with parts of London in the distance ; also 
some Park scenes with Sir John Vanbrugh's House.* 

The Arts in England 

West said, that in painting this view from near Flamstead House, 
viz : at the top of the Hill looking down upon the Hospital, He should 
omit many of the trees which stood in the way & intercepted some prin- 
cipal circumstances. He considered that His object shd. be to give 
the true character of the scene with all its magnificence, & not to allow 
it to be broken by these interruptions. — 

From Greenwich we proceeded to Mr. Long's at Bromley Hill where 
we arrived a little after 5 oClock. — Before dinner we were occupied in 
looking at a small landscape by Rubens which Mr. Long had purchased. 
At 6 oClock we dined. — The conversation was various, but not particu- 
larly interesting. West sd. that with proper encouragement the Arts wd. 
be advanced in this country to equal those of Greece & Rome. 

At I past 8 I left Bromley accompanied by West. He spoke of Ozias 
Humphry & mentioned a singular anecdote of Him. The evening before 
He died He desired that immediately after His death a person shd. be 
sent to Mr. West with His Compliments, & to inform Him that He was 
dead. — Accordingly] a man called upon West the following morning 
with the message as thus stated. This arose from Humphry's habitual 
desire of importance, and the fear of this event not being properly 
published. 

[See previous volumes for references to Samuel Rogers and Peter Paul Rubens ; I., II., 
III., IV., to Warren Hastings.] 

* Sir John Vanbrugh, the architect. See Vol. I., page 257«, 



CHx^PTER XXIV 

1810 
Northcote's Wealth 

July 1. — Dance I called on & found Captn. Cooper there. He had 
lately sat to Northcote for His portrait, & speaking of Him said He did 
not dojjbt but that Northcote was worth ^40,000. — On my mentioning 
how much Northcote's company had been courted at Mr. Whitbread's, 
by the Duchess of Bedford & others Cooper sd. " They only quizzed 
Him."— 

Dance told me that He had just made designs for a House to be built 
for Mr. Wall, son in law to Sir Francis Baring, at Norman Cross in Hamp- 
shire, which would cost at least ^50,000. He said Sir Francis and Mr. 
Wall have now both left the Commercial concern & that Wall is sd. to be 
worth as many thousand pounds as there are days in the year. — 

Hoppner's Family 

Mrs. Hoppner I called upon. She had called upon me & now in- 
formed me that it was to request my interference with Her Son Lascelles 
Hoppner who was averse to having the name (Hoppner) taken from 
the door in Charles St. previous to Mrs. Hoppner letting the House, 
thinking if the entrance to the painting rooms through a House in a 
Court behind should be the only approach He shd. not appear to the 
advantage He now does. He had been, however, persuaded to give 
up this point as it wd have affected the letting the House to have a 
passage through it. — Mrs. Hoppner told me Her Son, Hampden Hoppner, 
is now situated at a station near Decca, in the country above Calcutta, 
& has abt. ;^700 a yr. & His next advance will be to the rank of a Judge. 
He will then be able to save money. He now lives upon His income, 
Has no debts, & His character is excellent. Excepting being separated 
from His relations He is well pleased with His situation ; likes the 
Europeans He meets with ; but does not like the natives. — 

Dance, in our conversation today spoke with much resentment of 

the neglect He had experienced from R when last invited by Him 

to dinner. He found a Baronet & some others there, & himself was 
scarcely acknowledged by R . — He said He shd. never again visit 

VOL. VI. 83 6* 



84 The Farington Diary [I810 

Him, & that He was a puppy, — He also spoke of the rudeness of C , 

who not being His acquaintance had taken great Hberty in making re- 
marks upon His personal appearance as being that of a man who had 
lived an intemperate life ; which also was a great falsehood, for in His 
youth He scarcely drank any wine. — 

The Death Sentence 

July 2.— Mr. Willm. Smith [M.P.] told me He dined with the late 
Mr. Windham & Mr. Sheridan at the Thatched House tavern a little 
time before the operation was performed upon [the former]. He did 
not mention His having any complaint : but Mr. Smith said He had heard 
that when the Surgeons had given their opinion that an operation was 
necessary, Mr. Windham sd. " They had passed sentence of death upon 
him."— 

A Silly Duel 

Bourgeois told me that the Revd. Mr. Gethin, who married Lady 
Wintringham [the aunt of Tresham, R.A.], being in a shop in Ireland 
with His Second Wife quarrelled with an Irishman, which of their wives 
shd. be the purchaser of a certain Cap. They had a duel, standing 
first at 7 paces distant from each other. Gethin was shot through the 
fleshy part of the body, — they then advanced to 5 paces and again fired, 
when Gethin shot His antagonist in the neck, but did not kill Him. This 
terminated the duel. — 

Bourgeois looking at a fine picture by Ruysdael sd. " It was manifest 
that Ruysdael like Loutherburgh was near sighted, otherwise, could He 
have seen the general effect of His picture He could not have allowed 
such forms to remain as were in some parts of it. Loutherburgh does 
not see the effect of His colours." 

July 3. — The subject of Dubost's the Frenchmans, brutal attack 
upon Mr. Thomas Hope by caricaturing Him as a Beast holding His 
unwilling Wife, a Beauty, was long a subject of conversation. Fuseli 
was capricious and made light of it, as being a thing not worth regarding. 
Lawrence opposed Him, & told Him that He of all men ought not to 
affect to feel that such attacks shd. be treated with indifference as there 
was no person so sensible as He was to everything like satire or ridicule. 

Lawrence afterwards privately told me that very lately Fuseli was 
at Mr. Angerstein's at Woodlands when the Princess of Wales came there. 
She & William Lock joked humourously with Fuseli, which so offended 
Him that though He had intended to remain longer He the next morning 
left Woodlands protesting against being so ridiculed. — 

Scott and Rodgers 

Some conversation took place respecting the mental powers of Women. 
Rogers said " Women do not reason." He did not think they could be 
put on a footing with men, Fuseli agreeing generally said He knew one 



1810] Scott and Rogers 85 

Woman, now in Paris, who has an understanding of most mascuHnc 
strength. — 

Poetry was touched upon, & Walter Scott being m,entioned, FuseH 
said He wd. allow " that Walter Scott, without being a Poet, was nearer 
being one than any other author of the present period." This was 
rather bearing upon Rogers who has acquired reputation from " His 
pleasures of Memory." 

CarHsle [the surgeon] left us soon after tea, and the conversation 
from that period became better. The subject was poetry. Fuseli 
spoke with tears in His eyes of a passage in Milton as excelHng in beauty, 
& sublimity, & feeling, all that He had read. It was that where a con- 
versation is held between the Creator and Adam upon the subject of His 
having a Mate, a companion. — 

Farington Declined 

July 5. — Haydon called ; He sd. Thomson had recommended to 
Him to call upon me to know whether He not having been an Exhibitor 
since the year before this, — 1809 — could be admitted to put His name 
down as a Candidate for Associate. I told Him that at a former period 
the lists of Candidates for 2 years successively had been joined & voted 
upon ; & that I therefore concluded He might put His name down ; 
He much wished me to express what my opinion was as to the strength 
of His claim, but I declined saying anything respecting it. — 

A Successful Issue 

July 6. — Robt. Smirke I dined with ; Lysons there. In the even'g 
we went to Covent Garden Theatre & had Kemble's box to ourselves. 
We saw Him in the last act of Hamlet. After the Play He came forward 
& returned thanks for the great patronage that Theatre had reed, from 
the public this season : He then spoke of the agreement made with the 
public by the Proprietors of that Theatre to do away [with] all the private 
boxes except three on each side of the House, & sd. the Proprietors wd. 
faithfully abide by it shd. it be insisted upon ; but He then stated that 
an Act of Parliament had passed enabling the Proprietors of the Theatre 
to be built in Drury Lane to have as many private boxes as they might 
choose to make, & He trusted that the public wd. not so far make a differ- 
ence in the situation of the respective proprietors as to refuse their 
permission for the Proprietors of Covent Garden Theatre to have Seven 
Boxes (private) on each side of the House, being the same number with 
those which were in the late Theatre when it was burnt down. 

In so doing there wd. be twelve private boxes thrown open to the 
public ; and the ceiling of the two shilling gallery should be raised. — 
All He said was reed, with loud clapping & general approbation, which 
promised a successful issue to this long-contested business. Robt. 
Smirke told me that by preserving Seven private Boxes on each side of 
the House the Proprietors wd. gain abt. ;/^4000 annually. — 



86 The Farington Diary [I810 

Bad Management 

Kemble spoke very judiciously & with great effect. — We met Him 
in one of the passages & He requested us to go to His House to Mrs. 
Kemble & He wd. follow us, which He did, accompanied by the Revd. 
Mr. Este* who told us He had lately been in the West-Indies to make 
some arrangements on the estates of His Son in Law, Mr. Wells. — Kemble 
spoke of the bad management of the concerns of Covent Garden Theatre, 
by which the Proprietors had in a certain number of years lost more than 
^100,000 which might have been gained by better oeconomy. — Kemble 
eat supper telling us that He had not since the day before eat any meat 
(animal food) if He had, He sd. He shd. not have been enabled to per- 
form. — 

[See previous volumes for references to William Smith, M.P., Henry Tresham, R.A., 
and Sir Walter Scott ; III., IV., V., to Charles Wall ; XL, V., to Georgiania, Duchess of 
Bedford.] 

* The Rev. Charles Este was much concerned with the stage and actually became an 
actor. Later he devoted himself to the Church, and also contributed anonymously to 
The Public Advertiser, mainly on theatrical topics. He once induced Kemble to start a 
newspaper, which failed. See Vols. I., II., III. 




William Cobbett, Political Writer. 
By J. R. Smith, engraved by Bartolozzi. 



[To face p. 



CHAPTER XXV 

1810 

William Cobbett Sent to Prison 

July 9. — Was at Westminster Hall at 9 where I met Lysons who 
took me into Mr. Barlow's Box. The Judges were Lord Ellenborough, 
Judges Grose, Le Blanc & Bailey. At 25 minutes past Eleven Cobbet 
was brought into the Court, & with Him Hansard Junr. printer, & Bag- 
shaw & Budd, publishers. The Sentence of the Court was immediately 
read by Judge Grose which took up Eleven minutes. The Judge ex- 
hibited in strong colours the libellous & bad tendency of the publication 
of which Cobbet had been found guilty. He sentenced Him to be im- 
prisoned in Newgate 2 years, — to pay a fine of ,^1000 ; to give security 
for His good behaviour after His imprisonment shall have terminated, 
Himself in ;£300o, & 2 other persons in ^1000 each. — 

Hansard, the printer, He sentenced to 3 months imprisonment in 
the Marshalsea & to pay a fine of £100, Bagshaw & Budd to be imprisoned 
2 months each in the Marshalsea. — I thought Cobbet* appeared a little 
affected by His sentence. His colour seemed to me to change. He 
however walked out of the Court with the others in a manner seemingly 
indifferent. — I remarked that while the sentence was reading Lord Ellen- 
borough & the other Judges, never looked at Cobbet, but were either 
examining papers, or looking another way. — 

A Revolutionary Orator 

Lawrence was in the Court, & near Him stood Gale Jones,'\ who had 
lately been released from Newgate, and was now under prosecution for 
a Hbel on Lord Castlereagh. His appearance was remarkable, from the 
spasmodick affection in His face & Head, a kind of convulsive twitchings 

* Cobbett was prosecuted for a bitter attack on military flogging. He came out of 
prison " pecuniarily ruined." 

t Farington says that of all the revolutionary orators of the 1795 trouble John Gale 
Jones appeared to have the most genius. He was by profession an apothecary, but his 
political opinions ruined his career. He was more than once imprisoned, and died in 1838. 
See Vol. I., pages 118-9. 

87 



88 The Farington Diary [I810 

& tossing of His head. — Lawrence walked with me to the Academy, 
where we went into FuseU's painting room. He was absent ; not having 
returned from a small lodging near Brompton to which he goes to sleep. 
Moses Haughton was there.* He spoke of Fuseli's exertion when He 
is employed in composing a picture. After an application of 3 or 4 
Hours He becomes quite faint & exhausted. — We called on Taylor at 
the Sun Ofhce 

[On Saturday last [says the Morning Post\ the Ceremonies of the 
Installation of Lord Grenville as Chancellor of Oxford ended. They 
commenced on the Tuesday preceding. On Saturday Mr. Sadler as- 
cended in a Balloon from Christ Church meadow. — It was with Mr. 
Sadler that Mr. Windham ascended in a Balloon in 1785 from Moulsey 
Hurst near Hampton Court, & after an aerial transit of Eight Hours 
(the longest ever known) descended near the confluence of the Thames 
and Medway. — From small note-book.] 

July 10. — Constable called ; being overjoyed at Lord Dysartf having 
bought the Landscape which He exhibited. Lord D, gave him 30 
guineas for it ; a Kitcat. — 

Smirke and His Father * 

July 11. — At 12 oClock I set off with Robert Smirke to go to Offley 
Place where [we] arrived at 6 & dined. On our way Robt. Smirke spoke 
of His Father's feelings when in certain situations. He happened a few 
even'gs ago to be left alone at His lodgings at Hampstead, & felt His 
situation so silent & solitary, as to affect His spirits so far as almost to 
cause Him to call up the maid servant to sit with Him. — When He was 
last Autumn at Lord Lonsdale's at Lowther, when left alone in His 
apartment in that large mansion, a similar effect was felt by Him, The 
stillness which prevailed only occasionally interrupted by some person 
walking along the gallery, gave a melancholy character to it, and affected 
His mind. — 

Democrats All 

July 12. — We talked of Sir Robt. Salusbury's situation after He had 
made the motion for Sir F. Burdett's committal to the Tower. The 
Political disposition of the Methodists in Wales was shewn in conse- 
quence of it. Sir Robt. is partner in a Bank at Newport in Monmouthshire 
& at Abergavenny. A run was made upon these Banks with an en- 
deavour to cause them to stop payment. The notes of the Bank were 
industriously collected & carried in. Sir Robert was surprised to see a 
large quantity brought in by a person with whom he had lived on very good 
terms. On the Man being asked why He proceeded thus against Sir 

* Moses Haughton, the younger (1772 ?-i848 .''), was a miniature painter and engraver. 
In early life he became a friend of Fuseli. 

t Lionel, fifth Earl of Dysart. See Vol. IV., page 216. 



1810] Democrats All 89 

Robert, He said " He had no particular motive of His own, but that Mr. 

naming a Methodist preacher, had urged Him & others to do it." — 

Mr. Evans, a clergyman much connected with Dr. Burgess, the present 
Bishop of St. Davids, & assisting Him in His endeavours to improve the 
people in South Wales, being asked by Mr. Burroughs* What He thought 
of the political disposition of the Methodists in that country, rephed 
" Democrats to a Man." — After the Committal of Sir Francis, the Mob 
of London was so incensed against Sir Robert that many ot them took 
great pains to find out His residence & even offered money to a person 
to induce Him to give them information. — At Ibbotsons & at other 
Hotels he could not get lodgings owing to their apprehension of their 
Houses being assaulted. — For some days His Son found as much difficulty 
in obtaining admittance. — From what Sir Robert had done to support 
government Mr. Burroughs thought Sir Robert might well ask for a 
Prebendary of Westminster from the Minister, in which I concurred. — 

Wilkie's a Bad Case 

July 15. — Went to St, James's Chapel. — LordDeDunstanville called. 
He spoke of Wilkie, & said the mistress of the House where Wilkie lodges 
sd. " His was a bad case." This Dr. Baillie had declared. An adhesion 
of the lungs is apprehended. Lord De Dunstanville told me He gave 
Wilkie ICO guineas for the picture of the " Man dancing with the Child's 
cap on " [see ante, Chapter XVL], which though consisting of only two 
figures & a dog, Wilkie sd. had taken Him four months to paint. Wilkie 
fixed the price. — 

The Prince and Art 

July 16. — West told me He had been with the Prince of Wales who 
seemed much disposed to make a Collection of the Works of British Artists. 
The Prince expressed a desire to Have Birdf of Bristol's picture of the 
" Village Choristers " which was exhibited this year. — West applied 
to Bird to know the price. Bird wrote 250 guineas. West took the 
picture to the Prince who paid Him for it ; & desired Him to give a 
Commission to Wilkie to paint a companion to it ; leaving the subject 
& the price to Himself ; Lord Moira was present, & also desired to have 
a similar Commission given from Him. — 

^ Some conversation respecting the Arts having passed West desired 
His Royal Highness wd. permit Him to state His sentiments upon this 
subject in writing. 

The Prince desired He wd. do it. — Accordingly West sd. He had ex- 
pressed His thoughts at considerable length sufficient to form a small 

Probably the Rev. Lynch Salusbury, who assumed the name of Burroughs on heiring 
a fortune from his aunt, Dowager Lady Salusbury, whose maiden name was Burroughs. 
See Vol. IL, pages 251, 263. 

t Edward Bird, 



90 The Farington Diary [I810 

pamphlet, & in order that what He had written might not be thrown aside 
He had resolved to have it fairly copied by Tomkins the writing master 
& to have it bound in Morocco, & thus to present it to the Prince. — ^As I 
could not now stay with Him, He said that as He communicated con- 
fidentially with me, if I came the following day. He wd, read to me what 
[he] had written. — We had some conversation abt. a noble Lord who 
He said Had actually offered Him a Commission upon the sale if He would 
assist Him in the sale of some of His pictures. — West made a proper 
reply to so degrading an offer.— 



CHAPTER XXVI 

1810 

Kemble's Poems 

July 16. — Lawrence I dined with. — We talked of Kemble as an 
Actor. Lawrence said " There had been no other such countenance 
upon the stage as that of Kemble. If 1000 men were collected together, 
you wd. be struck with the face of Kemble." — A small book published 
when Kemble was 25 or 6 years of age containing poems written by Him 
was looked at by us, & remarked upon for its puerility. — Lawrence 
shewed us a letter which He reed, sometime ago from Small Pybus* 
with an extravagant florid description of a picture which He had in His 
possession, painted by one of the Old Masters. Pybus wished Lawrence 
to recommend it to Mr. Angerstein, the price to be ^15,000 ; but Pybus 
offered to take Mr. A's Cuyp in part of payment at a high valuation. 
We laughed at the folly & extravagance of the proposal ; a full trait of 
Character. — Lawrence had seen the picture & spoke of it with contempt. 

The Largest Ship 

July 17. — I dined at home, William [Farington's nephew] with me. 
He had been to Deptford and saw the launch of the Queen Charlotte 120 
guns the largest Ship ever built in the river Thames at Deptford. 

New Publications 

July 18. — Davis I called on & we had a long conversation respect- 
ing the Britannia Depicta of the County of Cornwall. I spoke of the 
extreme incorrectness of Smith's views of Falmouth, Lostwithiel &c. 
which would discredit the publication. He said these plates should 
be thrown aside ; that other drawings of these places shd. be made ; 
& that He left everything to my judgment, — With respect to the views 
to be made for the proposed publication of Stowe's Survey of London 
with additions He asked whether He & Mr. Cadell might consider me as 
undertaking to arrange the whole to execute such as I might think proper 
to do & to allot the remainder according to my judgment to such artists 
* Charles Small Pybus, a lord of the Treasury. 
91 



92 The Farington Diary [isio 

as might seem best for the purpose ; viz : Messrs. Hearne &c. — I repHed 
that I was wilHng to have it so understood. — 

He spoke of their pubhcation of Portraits of distinguished persons, 
I mentioned the disatisfaction Lawrence felt at the bad manner in 
which Lord Melville's head had been engraved. He admitted it, but 
spoke of the difficulty the engravers had in obtaining from Mr. Lawrence 
any attention to the works carrying on from His pictures. Cardon while 
improving the portrait of Sir Joseph Banks, had so much trouble in 
this respect that He was incensed, & wrote an angry letter to Lawrence 
upon the subject to which Lawrence certainly returned a gentlemanly 
answer ; but Cardon had declared He wd. never again engrave from a 
picture by Lawrence. — Our conversation concluded by my telling Him 
that Lawrence had expressed a wish to meet Him (Davis) to speak 
upon this subject, & I invited Him to dine with me on Tuesday the 
24th inst. 

Too Long Afloat 

July 20. — Lord Gardner* spoke of Admiral Sir Richard Keates 
& said " He is the first officer in the Service " ; but He also remarked that 
His temper is bad, being passionate & violent. He is about 50 years 
old. He commanded the Superbe Man of War Eleven years & during 
that period the men belonging to this ship were never changed, or in 
Port so as to have intercourse with the people on Shore. Some very 
bad proceedings of the worst nature took place in the ship, in which 25 
or 26 persons were implicated. When charged with their guilt they 
acknowledged it, and declared it to be the consequence of their long 
confinement in the Ship cut off from that intercourse which might have 
prevented it. A report was made to the Admiralty, but nothing was 
done, & it was supposed to have been thought best not piiblickly to 
notice it. — 

Lord Gardner when coming into Plymouth with Lord Gambler 
each of them commanding a ship, the latter sd. to the former, that He 
did not intend to allow any women to be brought into [his] ship. Lord 
Gardner represented to Him such probable consequences that He did not 
give the order. — 

The Making of Sailors 

We talked of Buonaparte's design to invade England. Lord Gardner 
sd. though He had all the Ports on the Continent & might build ships 
yet Buonaparte could not make sailors, adding, " Sailors cannot be 
made by working on Canals, or by close coasting," and added, thSt He 
did not fear any number of ships manned with men so formed to be sailors. 
He said He had so little apprehension of what men might be made by being 
in Vessels only employed in Close Coasting, that He would not molest 
them. — 

* Allan Hyde, second Lord Gardner, who in 1809 succeeded his father, Admiral and 
first Baron Gardner. See Vols. I., III., V. 



1810] National Depot of Art 93 

July 21. — Bourgeois spoke of Wyatt,* and complained of His 
inconsistent conduct. A few years ago a party was made to go to 
Hampton Court. Wyatt, Tresham & Bourgeois were of it. While 
surveying Cardinal Wolsey's Hall, it was suggested to be a noble apart- 
ment for the reception of the works of modern artists, & that were His 
Majesty to have a picture from each member of the Royal Academy, 
& this to be continued on the election of future members, it wd. be a 
grand national Depot of Art. 

Nepotism 

This caused Wyatt to pronounce a violent Philippic against West, 
who, He said, was so far from recommending to His Majesty any such 
noble plan only availed Himself of opportunities to obtain for Himself 
& His family all the employment which he could get. He then said. 
That when the Queen made sometime before great preparations for an 
entertainment at Frogmore, West caused His Son Ralph West to be 
employed in painting decorations, for which He charged ;^50o, a price 
which astonished the Royal Family. He dwelt on West's selfishness & 
disregard of others, & expressed for Himself very different notions. — 

Now, said Bourgeois, Wyatt's conduct since has been this. In the 
alterations which have been made in Windsor Castle, ceilings were to 
be painted. The History of St. George occupied one of them. For 
this purpose He had His Son Matthew Wyattf, a young inexperienced 
artist appointed, to the exclusion of artists of known ability. — Further ; 
A part of the Castle called Marlborough Tower underwent some alterations. 
In this tower sl flag presented by the Marlborough family is deposited. 
By this acknowledgment of the Crown they hold Blenheim. Wyatt 
now projected that pictures representing the Battles of the Duke of 
Marlborough should decorate the apartments of the tower. 

Wyatt passing by every well qualified artist obtained this Commission 
for His Son, who was quite inadequate to the execution of it. The 
young man put some questions to Bourgeois respecting it, to obtain 
information, and was by Him given to understand that for such a work 
experience and practise very different to what He had had was required. 
— The other did not seem to think so much was required, & He proceeded 
to execute it. — From this period Bourgeois sd. He had declined intercourse 
with them, & protested against the conduct of Wyatt. — 

* See previous volumes for references to James Wyatt, R.A. 
t See Vol. III., page 149. 



CHAPTER XXVII 

1810 

Michael Angelo 

July 21. — I had to dinner, Bourgeois, [James] Ward & [John] 
Taylor. — The talents of the Kemble family were spoken of. Taylor sd. 
that when He first saw Mrs. Siddons He thought Her acting all Art. 
He had often seen Garrick, & had the impression of His excellence on 
His mind. — Bourgeois sd. He preferred Kemble to Mrs. Siddons. — 
Bourgeois expressed His dislike of the works of Michael Angelo, & ex- 
pressed His admiration of the sculpture in Westminster Abbey executed 
by [Torrigiano] the competitor of Michl. Angelo. — He gave His opinion 
against any Foreigners being appointed Keeper or a Professor in the 
Royal Academy ; and disapproved of Fuseli's Lectures. — 

Great Failures in the City 

July 24. — Forrester* called and spoke of the great failures in the 
City, which He said Have been caused by the extravagant commercial 
speculations to South America chiefly, & also to Spain. The goods sent 
thither have been sold at great loss or remain unsold, & remittances have 
been in vain expected. — Omnium has in consequence of the want of 
money been at 3 pr. cent discount. He spoke of Goldsmid's great 
power in the City in commanding money. He sd. to have the command 
of five millions, the property of rich Jews & others. — 

Burns Worship 

July 26. — Stothard I went to in the even'g. & had tea. Lawrence 
there. We saw the sketches made by Stothard in Scotland the last 
summer. He was absent from London nearly 3 months. — Many of 
the sketches were views of places from which engravings are to be made to 
accompany an edition of Burns'f poems. — He made a drawing of the 

* Edward Forrester, or Forster, wine merchant. See Vol. IV., pages 49 and 52. 

t Robert Burns. See Vols. I., III., IV., V. In Vol. I., page 331, Farington describes 
his meeting with the poet in 1792, and refers to his great popularity in 1801. 

94 



1810] 



Art Collectors 95 



House in which Burns was born ; — the room in which He wrote ; with 
the desk at which He wrote, & the Chair on which He sat. — So far is 
this kind of enthusiastic admiration now carried. — 

July 28. — We walked abt. the grounds & to a Cottage lately in- 
habited by Reynolds the engraver. — At | past one we left Bickley with 
Mr. J. Wells* in His Coach & proceeded to Red Leaf, Mr. W. Wells's, 
20 miles from Bickley & 30 from London. — On our way Mr. J. Wells 
told us that His Father left to Admiral Wells, His eldest Son, ^80,000 
in estates Sec. To Himself (J. Wells) abt. ^30,000 ; & to His widow 
^30,000, of which she was also to have the disposal of ^10,000. — Mr. 
J. Wells after this bought Bickley which had become the property of 
the Admiral. — J. Wells lamented that the Admiral sold a farm of 400 acres 
of land which we to-day passed on our road, to an acquaintance for 
5^5000. — He never mentioned His intention to J. Wells who wd. Had He 
done so have given Him ^8000 for it, as it had been long in the 
family. 

Mr. Alnutf resides near Penshurst, at the distance of 2 miles from 
Red Leaf. — Mrs. Alnut is a daugr. of the late Mr. Woodgate of Summer 
Hill near Tunbridge. Mr. Alnut Junr.t is a wine merchant and resides 
in Mark Lane, London ; & at Clapham. — 

Free living was a subject of conversation. Mr. AlnvTt said Mr. Stephen 
Woodgate of Seven oaks, who is now hearty at 64 years of age, has 
drank a Bottle or 3 pints of wine every day for 40 years past. — 

* John Wells, brother of WiUiam Wells and Admiral Wells, became owner of Bickley 
after the death of the Admiral. John was educated at Eton at the same time as the Rev. 
C. Simeon, the well-known evangelical divine who figures in Volumes III., IV. andV. of 
the Diary, and in Eton College Register as having been at the school in 1767-78. But 
there is no reference to John Wells in the Register. There are given, however, three people 
named Wells who are said to be " perhaps " Nathaniel, Samuel and William, sons of the 
Rev. Nathaniel Wells, of East Allington, co. Devon. It may be that the boys enrolled 
were actually the sons of William Wells, senior: John Wells, William Wells, junior, and 
Admiral Wells, who was the eldest of the three brothers. All three could certainly have 
been at Eton together at some time between the years (1767-78) of Simeon's period 
at the College. 

In Chapter XV. Farington also informs us that a son of Admiral Wells, aged twenty 
years in 18 10, had been a " distinguished scholar at Eaton." 

t Richard Allnutt, of South Park, Penshurst, Kent, which now belongs to Viscount 
Hardinge. 

t John Allnutt, younger brother of Richard Allnutt, was a wine merchant, and as a 
hobby collected fine pictures. He was also a patron of Lawrence, Turner, and other 
artists. Lawrence borrowed large sums of money from him, secured on policy of assurance. 
At the artist's death as much as ^5,000 was repaid, so we are told. He was twice married, 
and Lawrence painted portraits of both wives, as well as of Allnutt himself. He died at 
Clapham in 1863, and at the three days' sale of his pictures at Christie's good prices were 
realised. His granddaughter, Anna (or Annie, as she wrote her name), married Mr. Thomas 
Rrassey, later Lord Brassey, and was the author of the once well-known " Voyage of the 
Sunbeam." The Allnutt firm of wine merchants still exists at 50, Mark Lane E.G., and the 
Rev. Samuel George Joseph Allnutt, vicar of St. Paul's, Clapham, is a descendant of John 
Allnutt. 



96 The Farington Diary [I810 

Sectarian Doctrines 

July 29. — Went to Penshurst Church, one mile distant. The 
service was performed by the Revd. Mr. Hamond, Rector of Penshurst, 
a living of £800 a yr. in the gift of the Sidney family. He was formerly 
a Lieutenant of Marines. In His Sermon today He manifestly alluded 
to the Methodists of whom there are great numbers in this neighboroud. 
He decryed the doctrines of the Sectaries, and holding forth the rationality 
of the established Church & its form of worship & doctrines, recommended 
to His auditors to enquire into and make a comparison between these 
and the modes & doctrines of the Sectaries & then to abide by what 
should seem to them to be most rational. — This address seemed to be ill- 
calculated for such a congregation, consisting of farmers & their families 
& rusticks. — I afterwards learnt that Mr. Hamond frequently enforces 
whatever He can against the Sectaries, but takes no other pains upon 
this subject ; but lives very much estranged from His parishioners, & 
taking no interest in what relates to them. — 

A Landscape Gardener 

We went to Mr. Alnut's, & after having some refreshments walked 
in his grounds which are agreeably laid out having the Forest character. — 
Mrs. Alnut told me that this estate formed part of the Penshurst (Sidney) 
estate, & was purchased abt. 40 years ago by Mr. Alnut's grandfather 
who & Mr. Alnut's father also resided in London & at Eltham. The estate 
is abt. 500 acres, with much small wood upon it. — Mrs. Alnut informed 
me of many changes which had happened since I was at Seven oaks 
in 1772. — 

She spoke of Repton [Humphry Repton. See Vols. L, H.], the land- 
scape gardener, & of the vivacity of His manner. She remarked upon 
the great contrast of Him to Robert Smirke who appeared to Her to be 
very bashful. On my speaking highly of the qualifications of Robt. 
Smirke who I said was not bashful but sober and tranquil in His mind 
& manner, she sd. " Then Mr. Smirke may be considered as solid, and 
Mr. Repton as dazzling." — She mentioned Repton's indifference abt. 
seeing places where He was not employed. At Summer Hill it was 
proposed to Him to walk abt. the grounds, which He declined, saying 
" He had seen fine places enough, & after all was best contented with 
His own situation which was by the road side." 

[See previous volumes for references to Thomas Stothard, R.A.] 



CHAPTER XXVIII 

1810 

Great Ship Builders 

July 29. — Robt. Smirke went to-day to Rose Hill in Sussex, Mr. 
Fullers. — We dined at 5. — We talked of the proposal made by the late 
Sir James Lowther (Earl of Lonsdale) to the late Marquiss of Lansdowne 
during His administration, which the Marquiss noticed in the King's 
speech. — The proposal was an offer to build & present to the government 
a Ship of 74 guns. — It being accepted Sir James applied to the late 
Mr. Wells who was then at Tunbridge, but came up to London, & was 
with Sir James on the subject. On leaving Sir James He met an old 
friend, who was agent to Sir James, & who knowing the business He 
had been upon advised him to have nothing to do with it. — Accordingly 
Mr. Wells declined it ; and Mr. Randal, the Ship-builder, who undertook 
it, experienced from Sir James all the trouble which might be expected 
& this vain proposal at last ended in nothing but difficulty & loss to Mr. 
Randal. — 

July 31. — W. Wells gave me 2 prints of His Father, the late Mr. 
Wells, engraved by Reynolds from a drawing made by Edridge in 1798, 
when Mr. Wells was 69 years old. He died Novr. 15th. 1805. — J. Wells 
sd. He had been in business (Ship building) a great part of His life & 
was now 48 years old, & had undergone great fatigue in carrying it on. — 
His Father set Him off with a handsome capital. In Greenland Dock 
yard He in one year built 8000 tons of Shipping. Willm. Wells went 
one voyage only as Captain of an Indiaman & left that service about 
1795. He afterwards became joint partner with His Brother John in 
the Greenland Dock yard, & also had with Him a Half share of the Black- 
wall Docks, the other Half belonging to Mr. Perry & His two Sons. 

This Partnership continued seven years. Mr. Perry & His Sons 
then retired & J. & Wm. Wells afterwards sold the Blackwall property 
to Sir Robt. Wigram,* — J. Wells retaining a quarter share of the business, 
but He has none of the labour of superintendance. — He only goes once 

* See Vol. v., page 68, for note about Sir Robert Wigram, M.P. 
VOL. VI, 97 7 



98 The Farington Diary [I810 

a week, (Wednesdays) & attends to the political part. — Miss B. Wells 
has ;^i5oo a year and the House in Portugal St. Mayfair in which Her 
late Mother lived. It is worth £5000. — 

Sir Robt. Wigram began business with keeping a little Drug Shop. 
He made His great fortune by obtaining Shares of Indiamen, & by 
degrees becoming Ships-Husband to several ships, — & is now worth Half 
a million. — The late Mr. Wells might have had the Husbanding of as 
many Indiamen as He might have chosen & have gained 2 millions, but 
He would not avail Himself of the opportunities offered Him. 

A Court Favourite 

We got to Bickley at 5 oClock & dined. Mrs. Dunn told me of the 
intimacy of Her family with Dr. C. Agar the late Archbishop of Dublin, 
& He originally had but a moderate fortune, but He used it with great 
management ; Had shares in the first national Irish Bank ; & changed 
& chopped His money abt. & died Earl of Normantoun* & posessed of 
^400,000. To his daugr. Lady [Frances Anne] He had given ^15000, 
but to His two younger Sons, a Clergyman & an Officer He left only 
abt. ;^5ooo each, and to His widow abt. ^^1200 a yr. only. His opinion 
being that women should not have much. He was a remarkably agreeable 
man, calculated for conversation with any description of Society. He 
was of a nervous habit, and was subject to violent Headaches, which 
He relieved by drinking the Essence of Coffee, and would rise in the 
night for that purpose ; but Mrs. Dunn thought it injured His constitu- 
tion. In the last six or seven years of His life His temper changed. 
He was always of a warm temper but now became irritable and peevish. 
He had been a great favourite at Court and some alterations there shewn 
him seemed to have operated on His mind. He left His widow in circum- 
stances, comparatively too limited for Her situation in life, & for His 
fortune. — 

Dashing Speculations 

J. Wells said He remembered Mr. Angerstein when His credit in 
business was very low and His Commercial partnership of the least 
respectable kind. He has made His fortune by dashing speculations in 
underwriting, and had advantages from Sir Francis Baring. — J. Wells 
now keeps Six Men & Eleven maid Servants ; has Six Children viz : 
Three Boys and Three girls. — 

August 4. — Landseer called. He told me He had undertaken to 
engrave a plate from Sir G. Beaumont's exhibited view of Conway Castle, 
this to be on His own Account. — Sir George wished it to be of the size 
of the print of the Cottagers by Woollett. 

* See Vol. v., page 207, about the Earl's death. 



1810] Doctors Made Him Worse 99 

August 5. — Before lo went to J. Offley's & had much conversation 
with Mrs. J. Offley. — She told me He had evidently been worse from 
the time the Blister had been applied to His Head by order of Drs. 
Baillie & Reynolds. She said, That by what they had done the Physicians 
had made His state much worse than it was before. — That after having 
had the blister on a fortnight, Cupping was recommended by Reynolds, 
which was done on Thursday last, and that He became so weak after 
dinner as to be obliged to go to bed, & He had never been up since, but 
when it had been necessary to raise Him, which from His weakness is 
done with difficulty. — She was much disatisfied with Reynolds, who, 
when He has been there, has talked more abt. Himself & His own com- 
plaints, than abt. His Patient's, and abt. other matters of a trifling kind, 
even to the apparently making Dr. Baillie weary. 

Abt. a week ago or more J. OfHey's* neck became affected with 
stiffness, which has gradually increased with considerable swelling & 
redness on one part. On this being mentioned to Reynolds He treated 
it lightly, calling it a swelling of the Lymphatics the effect of the Blister 
or cupping ; but on looking at it last night. He thought more seriously 
of it, & feared it might be a Carbuncle, which wd. be very dangerous. 
He sd. if so, He had never seen but one similar instance. — She observed 
that Reynolds is very jealous of Mrs. Offley having any private conversa- 
tion with Baillie, — & was very high with Her in consequence of Her 
having written to Baillie witht. His knowledge.— He has talked abt. 
His own pains in His Hips & Legs & Loins, & of His difficulty in laying 
Himself in an easy posture. — She thinks Him impaired in faculties, & in 
eye-sight. With Dr. Baillie she is much more pleased. He differed 
from Reynolds in thinking that change of air might be advantageous 
when J. Offley cd. be removed, which Reynolds did not think necessary. — 

* John Offley, wine merchant. See previous volumes. 



VOL. VI. 7* 



CHAPTER XXIX 

1810 

Celebrated Doctors 

August 5. — At I past 3 I went to J. Offley's. At 4 Doctors Baillie 
& Reynolds came, Mr. Heaviside also ; & to him Dr. Reynolds stated 
the progress of J. Offley's disorder. They then went to J. Offley & re- 
mained with him abt. 8 minutes ; then returned to the Parlour and had 
a consultation ; after which they called me in & Dr. Baillie spoke to me 
in substance as follows, viz. : — 

" We conclude you wish to have a candid statement of Mr. Offley's 
situation ; it is this. There is a possibility that He may recover to be 
in the state He was a few weeks ago, but He can never again have the 
use of His limbs. The cause of His disorder is in His Head ; & I can at 
a certainty predict that were His head to be opened it wd. be found, 
that some vessel is thickened ; or that some part is ossified ; or that 
some extravasation or secretion has impeded the organs. This cause is 
irremoveable. Should He recover to a certain degree, it wd. be to a 
calamitous state ; His faculties might be gradually impaired ; His 
power of sight & of speaking might also be lessened ; His temper become 
irritable. With such a prospect what cd. be wished ? At present His 
constitution is so much weakened that it is very doubtful whether there 
is sufficient strength remaining with all the assistance which can be given 
to raise Him to the state He was lately in. 

" It is out of our power to say what will be the result, further than 
what I have described. The swelling in his neck is of a gangrenous 
nature of the quality of a Carbuncle proceeding from a low habit." 
Doctor Baillie walked in a tottering manner to shew me how people are 
affected who have disorders in the Head, which, He said, operate more 
or less powerfully. He reminded me that I must have seen people 
walking in the streets in this debilitated state, from this cause. — It 
was clearly signified by Him that a prolongation of life for J. Offley could 
not reasonably be wished for. 

August 6. — Hone called, & spoke of having been in a very nervous, 
Hysterical state, the effect of anxiety of mind, but had been relieved by 

100 



1810] 



Celebrated Doctors loi 



medicines prescribed by Doctor Reynolds who He had known 35 years. 
— Reynolds is a native of Surrey, & first practised as a Physician at 
Godalming in that County.* He from thence came to London [in 1772] 
and had a House in Lamb's Conduit St. ; — from that removed to Bedford 
square where He has continued. — 

August 7. — At 3 Oclock I went to J. Offley's & saw Doctors Baillie 
& Reynolds, who found their patient in an improving state. — Yesterday 
Dr. BailHe expressed to me His admiration of Mrs. J. Offley, Her appear- 
ance & conduct on this trying occasion captivated Him. He said " She 
is a delightful woman," & this day He spoke to the same effect, " There 
is something very captivating abt. this good woman." — 

Early and Late 

August 8. — Doctor Baillie spoke of Himself going into the Country 
for relaxation. He sd. that during nine months in the year whilst in 
London He is engaged in business every day from | past 6 in the morning, 
till Eleven oClock at night ; that in the morning He has a quantity of 
letters to answer, & at night the same, so that when He returns home 
He is obliged to be thus employed instead of associating with His family. 
He said the consequence is that Cases come before Him in such quick 
succession that He forgets them unless there be something very singular 
in any one which is submitted to Him, whimsically saying, " He shd. 
not forget a case where a man's nose grew at the back of His Head." 
Then turning to Mrs. Offley He sd. " He shd. not forget the Case Here 
before Him ; He shd. not forget the conduct of Mrs. Offley on this trying 
occasion." — He spoke of country air as being more invigorating than that 
of a large City. He did not think there is any great difference between 
Sea air & country air, but thought Sea Air was of the two more invigor- 
ating. — When He went away He told me, J. Offley was in a fair way to 
be restored to the state He had lately been in ; but gave no reason to 
believe He would be restored beyond that point of recovery. [Each 
doctor's fee was a guinea a day.] 

Two sons of Mrs. Salusbury of Russell St. came in after dinner. One 
of them, the elder. Has an Office under government obtained for Him 
by Sir Robt. Salusbury ; the other is mate of an India-man lately re- 
turned from Bengal, & Madrass.t — He was at Madrass during the late 

* If the D.N.B. is right, then Horace Hone, R.A., was wrong. The Dictionary says 
Reynolds (one of the King's physicians) was born at Laxton, Nottinghamshire, on Septem- 
ber 23rd, 1745, and that he first practised at Guildford, not Godalming. 

t Mr. Hy. Harries writes : Farington refers to Mrs. Salusbury's two sons, one of whom 
" is mate of an Indiaman lately returned from Bengal and Madrass." 

The H.E.I. Co.'s record shows the following : Robert Salusbury was 3rd officer of the 
Retreat, Captain Thomas Herbert Harris, 505 tons, Sir Robert Wigram, Bart., owner (or 
Ship's Husband), on her third voyage, to Madeira, Madras and Bengal. Left Portsmouth 
28th April, 1809, returned to her moorings, 3rd July, 18 10. 



102 The Farington Diary [I810 

military revolt. — He spoke of Sir Robt. Barlow* as being generally 
disliked ; but sd. Lord Mintof is reckoned a very sensible man, & that 
His address to the Army had a great effect. — 

Impressive Admonition 

August 12. — I went to St. James's Chapel & heard a very good 
Sermon from Mr. Steevens upon the improper manner in which many 
persons conduct themselves at Divine Service. He remarked upon those 
who come late to Church after the Confession & Absolution have been 
read ; upon those who do not kneel, but sit during the prayers, which 
He sd. was inexcusable unless in cases of Age or infirmity ; upon those 
who do not stand but sit whilst the Psalms are singing, & upon those who 
converse together in the Church. — His admonition was very impressive. — 

Artists and their Habits 

Dance sd. that He usually goes to bed about Eleven oClock ; & that 
He never sleeps after five in the morning, & rises abt. Six oClock. — 
Thomas DaniellJ sd. He rises abt. 7 oClock, that with respect to diet, 
having always had a tender stomach, the less animal food He eats the 
better He is, & that when He drinks 5 or 6 glasses of Port Wine He is 
subject to Head aches on the following days. — He therefore drinks 
white wine. — Willm. Daniell sd. that He drinks tea in the morning witht. 
inconvenience, but in the afternoon it affects Him with griping pains. — 
Such is the difference in constitutions. Dance sd. a pint of wine agrees 
with Him. — 

August 14. — Rossi [R.A.] called. He had reed, information from 
Mr. Oilman Secretary to the Committee of taste, & the British Inscitution, 
that He with other Sculptors wd. be applied to for designs for monu- 
ments to Lord Rodney & Adml. Collingwood. — After the disappointment 
Rossi has suffered, Lawrence had advised Him not to become a Candidate. 
— Oilman thought He wd. succeed if He did. — I recommended to Him 
to consider whether the object was to Him worth the trouble for a chance 
of succeeding, as having a family, it wd. if obtained, be a profitable 

* Sir George Hilaro Barlow (1762-1846), not Sir Robert, who was his elder brother. 
Sir George was appointed Governor of Madras in 1807. His quarrel with the Army was 
caused by carrying out a decree of his predecessor, Lord William Bentinck, who, ordered by 
the authorities in England to economise, decided to abolish a monthly allowance to com- 
manding officers. After some minor trouble a universal mutiny broke out among the 
officers. A considerable number of Hves were lost and the dispute was ultimately settled 
by the intervention of Lord Minto, Governor-General of India. Barlow was not imme- 
diately deposed, but owing to the continued hostility of the officers who came home he 
was recalled in 1812 and only granted the usual annuity of ^1,500. He died at Farnham 
on December i8th, 1846. 

t Sir Gilbert Elliot, first Earl of Minto. See Vols. L, H., IH., IV. 

X See previous volumes for references to Thomas Daniell, R.A. 



1810] Behind the Scenes los 

business, — I advised Him, shd. He make designs or models, to shew 
them to Lawrence, who in addition to remarks which might be useful, 
wd. take more interest in them from their being more impressed on His 
mind. — 

He spoke of Daniell's strong desire to have [his nephew] Wm. Daniell 
elected an Academician. — I told Him Ward, & Robt. Smirke were entitled 
to a preference. — Robt. Smirke called in consequence of Dance having 
on Saturday last mentioned to him that He shd. invite the 2 Daniells, 
— to meet Him (Robt. Smirke) & His Father, & myself, for the purpose 
of considering which of them viz : Robt. Smirke or Wm. Daniell shd. 
be supported at the next election of Academicians. Robt. Smirke felt 
this to be leading to an unpleasant predicament for Him & Wm. Daniell 
& had spoken to Lawrence on the subject. — I told Him that Dance had 
not mentioned the matter to me, & that shd. anything be sd. upon the 
subject it might easily be turned oft. 



CHAPTER XXX 

1810 
Ward at the Top 

August 15. — Dance I dined with. — Before tea Dance spoke to me 
privately about filling the Academy vacancies in Feby. next. — I men- 
tioned Robt. Smirke as having a stronger claim than Wm. Daniell. — After 
tea Dance, in His back room spoke to me, Smirke & Daniell, on the above 
subject, wishing to have something settled respecting who we wd. support. 
— I said, that there were only two Vacancies ; that Ward had painted 
a picture for Lord Clive* which had placed Him at the top of His line ; 
that before He had produced this picture He had the opinion & wd. have 
the support of a large number of the members, & that I believed He wd. 
be elected. — I recommended not to do anything at present, but wait 
quietly to see in what situation the Academy may be some months hence ; 
that there are many old members & more vacancies may be expected. — 
I urged other reasons for not taking any steps at present, & it was agreed 
to postpone coming to any resolution at present. 

August 17. — I sat with Copley sometime and remarked upon the 
remarkable neatness of His Painting room. He sd. He cd. not paint 
unless everything was in order abt. Him. He cd. not bear to see rags 
& other things scattered about. — 

I spoke with approbation of the merit of the Print [after Copley's 
picture of " The Storming of Gibraltar "]. He thought Sharp had done 
justice to the undertaking ; but that the times were unfavourable for 
the sale of Prints, — His mind seemed to be clear, but I saw in Copley's 
look the appearance of age and imbecility ; a weakness. He sd. Sharp 
had been 15 years about this plate. In the first 2 years & a Half He 
did nothing to it. Copley then brought an action against Him for delay ; 
but as the time of His engagement for finishing it had not expired the 
action wd. not lie. Sharp then desired 2 years more than He had engaged 
for shd. be allowed Him which Copley granted : but the time He at last 
took was several years more than the time thus fixed. — 

• See Vol. III. 
104 



1810] Turner and Respectability 105 

Turner I met to-day. — He had been in the country & proposed going 
to Yorkshire. He spoke of Cadell & Davis's Magna Britannia & com- 
plained of their publishing His name in their advertisement, though 
He had ceased to be employed. — He however sd. that He had no objection 
to His name being united to mine, Hearne's & Smith's, but wd. not have 
it united with the names of Artists taken up accidentally, & not of 
established respectability.— He spoke of Loutherburgh ; His neighbour 
at Hammersmith, & remarked that He is altered in His appearance & 
breaks, as most men do who have been bulky, and as they advance in 
years. 

Black Man's Fine Figure 

August 18. — Lawrence I dined with. Lawrence spoke of a Black 
Man lately remarked [on] in an Hospital by Carlisle who attended Him 
for some slight injury He had sustained. Carlisle reported Him to be 
an extraordinary fine figure. West and Lawrence saw Him & [the 
latter] thought Him the finest figure He had ever seen, combining the 
character & perfection of many of the Antique Statues. " When His 
arm was suspended it appeared hke that of the Antinous ; when con- 
tracted for exertion it was like the Farnese Hercules." Lawrence shewed 
us a drawing on Canvass which He had made from Him. — Dazve has 
studied much from Him and paid Him 2 guineas a week for standing to 
Him. — Wm. Lock had seen Him & expressed equal admiration. The 
Man is a Sailor. He is 5 feet 1 1 inches | high. — 



Cobbett in Prison 

Comrie [the solicitor] told us that Cobbet pays in Newgate 7 guineas 
a week for His apartments. He was very much dispirited when He 
first went there and for a time seemed to give Himself up. 

Comrie gave an instance of want of integrity in Sir Richd. Phihps, 
the Bookseller. A young man who had ^^1500 was desirous of engaging 
in business. He was led to make enquiry into the character of a Book- 
seller of the name of De Berdt who held out offers of advantage to such 
as might be desirous of becoming His partner, & referred to Sir Richd. 
Philips for a character. The young man applied to Sir Richd. who 
recommended De Berdt in the strongest manner. The young man 
engaged with Him, and in a little time found His affairs were in a ruinous 
state. He became a Bankrupt. It afterwards appeared that Sir Richd. 
was acquainted with His circumstances & was one of His Creditors, and 
that He obtained the 3^1500 pd. by the young man to liquidate His own 
acct. 

When Lord Ellenborough was appointed Chief Justice He was worth 
£6'^,ooo. — He has the place of [profit] in the King's Bench in His Family. 
It brings in abt. ^9000 a yr. & with the income arising from the situation 



106 The Farington Diary [I810 

of Chief Justice makes up to His family ^20,000 a year. — His Lordship 
now resides in Lord Anson's House in St. James's Square, & pays a 
^1000 a yr. for it. Lady Ellenborough sees much company. — 

The late Lord Berkeley* when a young man took pleasure in athletic 
exercises. He placed Himself in situations where He was likely to be 
attacked by Highwaymen, which had happened and in one or two in- 
stances He took the man who attacked Him. — The present Lord Chester- 
field meeting Him one day asked Him when He took the last Highway- 
man ? Lord Berkeley replied " Not since you hung yr. Tutor." This 
retort was founded upon Lord Chesterfield having given evidence against 
Dr. Dodd who had been His Tutor & was executed for forgery. 



Academy Against Water-colours 

August 23. — Mr. & Mrs. West I sat with in the even'g. He told 
me that a Committee of the Council of the Academy viz : Shee, Flaxman, 
Howard & Yenn had been appointed to go into the state of the Academy, 
& that the business of Fuseli & the Housekeeper wd. be taken up by 
them. — He gave his opinion that it wd. be proper for the Academy to 
rescind the law which prevents Artists who make drawings such as those 
by Westall & Heaphy from becoming members of the Academy, such 
works being denominated drawings do not qualify the artists to put their 
names down for election. The law which excludes He sd. was made 
against inferior works done on paper, but the works now produced are 
of a quality not then known. He sd. the repeal of the law wd. not be 
proposed to the General Assembly before Novr. — 

He spoke of the improper resolution passed by the Council of the 
British Institution which prohibits any works from being exhibited 
there which have been previously exhibited at any other place. This 
He reprobated as directly opposing the Royal Academy by forming an 
exhibition against it, & was sure the King wd. disapprove it. — 

Like Henry VIII 

He had been with the Prince of Wales this day who shewed Him a 
large Collection of drawings made abroad by Foreign artists representing 
the Military of various countries & their operations, with views of places. 
— He sd. the Prince is grown enormouslv large ; a figure Hke Henry 
8th.— 

He spoke of Thomson [R.A.] being in a very bad state from the 
complaint in His leg & thigh, & that He seemed like the ruin of a man. 
— The loss of two such artists as Wilkie [also ill] & Thomson wd. be a 
great deduction from what this country posesses. The Prince of Wales 
expressed His intention to sit to Thomson for His Portrait. — 

* Frederick Augustus, fifth Earl of Berkeley, died on August ist, 1810. See Vol. IV. 
and Vol. I., page 272 and note. 



1810] Windham 107 

August 24. — Mr. Malone I called on & had a long conversation with 
Him respecting the late Mr. Windham. He gave me a pamphlet (a 
private work) which He had written containing a true statement of Mr. 
W's case & proceedings previous to His death. — Malone sd. that on the 
whole Mr. Windham possessed so much & such various knowledge & 
acquirements, that He might be classed with Johnson & Burke. — He 
had an extraordinary memory, " which " sd. Malone, " all great men have." 
He was very temperate ; sometimes drinking no wine, at other times 4 
or 5 glasses. — He had a habit of sleeping after dinner. — 

He sd. that Mr. Windham kept a Diary ;* so did /, sd. He, " for a time, 
minuting conversations &c. but I grew tired of it." — 

We talked of the situation of Lady Thomond. He sd. she had been 
perplexed with a dispute with the present Marquiss of Thomond respecting 
2 Bonds for which the late Marquiss had jointly with His Brother the 
present Marquiss's Father made Himself responsible, but it is believed & 
asserted by Lady Thomond that it was only an accommodation to the 
late Marquiss's Brother. — The amount is abt. ^4000. — Malone sd. that 
were Lady Thomond to pay the money, posessed as she is of 1000 or 
j^i2oo a yr. & 40 or ^50000 she ought not to allow Herself to be troubled 
abt. it, as Her situation in life wd. not be affected by it. — For my part, sd. 
He, I have long made up my mind not to be affected by circumstances 
that go no deeper into worldly affairs. 

[See previous volumes for references to Philip de Loutherbourg, R.A. ; 11. , III., IV., V., 
to Sir Richard Phillips, Edmund Malone, Edmund Burke, Dr. Samuel Johnson and the 
Marquess and Marchioness of Thomond.] 

* See foot-note to Chapter XIX. 



CHAPTER XXXI 
1810 
Westward Ho ! 
From London to Cornwall 

August 25. — I prepared to leave London this afternoon to proceed 
to Salisbury on my way to Cornwall. — 

I left London in the Weymouth light Coach carrying four passengers. 
It was my intention to proceed no further than Hartford Bridge, thirty- 
six miles, but there happening to be only two other passengers which 
left me one side of the Coach for myself I could relieve myself by change 
of posture which induced me to go on to Salisbury. At Basingstoke we 
substituted tea for Supper before & after which the Coach did not stop 
but to change Horses, 

My companions as appeared from their conversation were wine mer- 
chants, & strangers to each other. The younger told us He was settled 
at Weymouth : the other who spoke of his age & sd. He was Sixty-Six 
years old, declared Himself a native of Cheshire, but had been a resident 
in London from the year 1763. He was a good Humoured man of simple 
manners. He told us His Father was seventy one years old when He 
was born, but His mother was then only twenty-five. He had for some- 
time laboured under a Rhuematick gout which very much affected him 
in the night ; that His usual Hour of going to bed was ten oClock ; that 
He could sleep till one oClock, after which He was kept awake by pain 
till Six in the morning, and that He proposed to have recourse to the 
Salt Bath at Weymouth hoping to be benefitted by it. — 

Lodgings at Weymouth 

From this companion I learnt to be thankful that at an age fast 
approaching to His I am through the goodness of providence free from 
any positive complaint and suffer only those inconveniences which will 
occasionally attend advancing life. I also attended to an observation 
which He made, " Whilst my wife was living, said He, I kept a one Horse 
Chaise, & in my excursions she was my companion ; but since Her 
death I have laid down my Chaise, having found that to travel in it alone 

108 



1810] Lodgings at Weymouth 109 

was solitary, and when I took a friend with me we often thought differ- 
ently as to what was most eligible as we proceeded. There was not as 
in my wife's time but one mind to direct but two to contest, I therefore 
gave this up, & now make my way in any manner that may be agreeable 
to me at the time." 

My other companion informed me that good lodgings, viz : a Bed- 
chamber and a sitting room, may be had at Weymouth by those who have 
no objection to residing on the West side of the Harbour. In these 
lodgings a servant may be had in the House to provide what is necessary. 
The price of lodgings of this description are one guinea a week. The ex- 
pence of lodging on the eastern side of the Harbour facing the Esplanade 
wd. be much greater. 

A Bank Failure 

August 26. — We arrived at Salisbury at Six oClock in the morning 
where I went to bed and lay till Eleven. At one oClock I called on the 
Bishop of Salisbury* and walked with Him in the pleasure grounds of 
the Palace. 

He mentioned the failure of the Bank at Salisbury, & said the Revd. 
Mr. Douglass son to the late Bishop, was induced by His friendly feeling 
for the Proprietors to collect what money He could to support them 
against the demands which were coming upon them, and on a Saturday 
paid into their hands eight Hundred pounds, which they suffered Him 
to do though their affairs were in such a state as to oblige them to stop 
payment on the Monday following. Thus committing the property of 
a kind friend without in the least degree benefitting themselves. 

The pleasure ground of the palace is bounded in one part by the 
Cathedral, & its celebrated & most beautiful Spire is seen to great advan- 
tage from many points. 

A Young Artist 

At 3 oClock the Bishop with His family proceeded to the Cathedral 
to afternoon Service & I accompanied them. An Anthem was sung, 
but there was no Sermon. — Douglass Guest,t a young Artist was spoken 
of. His Father is a watch maker in SaHsbury, Guest has been employed 
to paint a picture for one of the Churches in this City. Some remarks 
were made by the Bishop upon the bad taste of a part of it. Guest heard 
the criticism, but was too well satisfied with what He had done to be 
inclined to make any alteration. — 

* John Fisher. See previous voUimes. 

t Thomas Douglas Guest (Fl. 1803- 1839) has already been referred to in the Diary. 
He studied at the Royal Academy schools, and in 1805 won the gold medal for historical 
painting. He apparently never reached real excellence as a painter, and seems to have 
disappeared from Art history after 1839, in virhich year two of his works were hung at the 
British Institution. 



110 The Farington Diary [I810 

Cost of Living in Devonshire 

August 28. — At 6 1 left Exeter in the Lord Nelson Coach which carries 
6 inside passengers. For the convenience of sitting I should recommend 
this and other coaches upon a similar plan before a mail coach, but in 
respect of expedition they cannot be compared. Though only 47 miles 
we did not reach Plymouth Dock till 5 oClock. — The weather was very 
fine, and as the Coach proceeded over Haldon Hill a few miles from 
Exeter, I was much gratified by the beautiful effects of the misty vapours 
which were exhaling from the banks of the river Exe, and the Country 
about Powderham Castle. — 

During this part of our journey we were 4 passengers. One of them, 
a respectable, elderly gentleman, said He was going to the river Teign 
for the purpose of fishing. He said He came to Devonshire to reside 
abt. 18 years ago, and remarked that many of the articles of life, & 
necessaries had advanced in price 100 pr. cent since that period. He 
still allowed that He believed a person might now live in Devonshire as 
well for ;£400 a year as He could do in London for ^^600. He said He has 
a Woman Cook who has been with him in that capacity 16 years ; that 
Her wages are now 8 guineas a year, & formerly were not so much ; & 
that to His other maid Servants he pays less. 

On our arriving at Plymouth Dock I had my luggage carried to the 
Kings-Arms Hotel,— The fare of this & other coaches which go from 
Exeter to Plymouth is only Half a guinea ; but the luggage is scrupu- 
lously weighed and charged one penny per pound for all above 14 
pounds. — 

At the King's Arms Hotel, I learnt that my Brother Richard with 
His Wife, and our niece Eliza, 2d. daughter of my Brother Henry came 
to this House on Monday evening last & having dined were gone to walk 
upon the Hoe at Plymouth. I had but just dined when they returned, & 
I had the satisfaction of passing the evening with them. 

Mount Edgcumbe 

August 29. — After breakfast we crossed the Hamoaze river to Mount 
Edgcumbe. At the Park gate Lodge we entered our names in a book 
kept for that purpose. We also wrote a note to Lord Edgcumbe* re- 
questing permission to walk through the grounds. The weather was 
favorable, and we saw this celebrated situation to the greatest advantage. 
We were nearly 5 Hours in viewing the scenery from different points. 
From the highest point of the Mount we had the wide expanse of the Ocean, 
with the Edystone [Eddystone] light House perceptible on the Horizon, 
and the new-stone rock at the entrance of Plymouth Sound on our left, 
and high rock with the village of Cawsand seated under them on our right. 
We had before seen the view from the White Seat from whence Plymouth 
and all that is connected with it or in its vicinity, was in a long line spread 

* Second Earl of Mount Edgcumbe. See Vol. V., page 282M. 



1810] Mount Edgcumbe ill 

before us. From these Heights we descended to a level walk which forms 
a belt round a considerable part of the whole of Mount Edgcumbe. 

I saw only one instance of bad taste at Mount Edgcumbe, which was 
a building erected to appear as a ruin. The form of it is bad ; and the 
situation of it worse. It interrupts a view where nothing should be seen 
that would not be consistent with this splendid display of the power and 
prosperity of this happy country. 



CHAPTER XXXII 

1810 

Westward Ho ! 

The Power of the Sun 

August 29. — At 4 oClock we left Mount Edgcumbe and recrossed the 
water, and at 5 oClock dined at our Inn where we found the accom- 
modation good, and the people civil. — My Brother informed me that 
yesterday Mr. Tucker, Master Attendant in Plymouth Dock yard shewed 
Him an extraordinary proof of the power of the Sun operating by reflec- 
tion. The Culloden Man of War being at Her station in the East Indies 
happened to have Her stern placed in such a direction that the rays of 
the sun which struck the water were reflected upon the Cabbin windows. 
A ray was thus reflected with such heat as instantly to decompose and 
shatter the glass which it struck. Many pieces of the glass in this state 
were brought to England and are in Mr. Tucker's posession. 

The Cheese -wring 

August 30. — At Liskeard I immediately applied for Horses & a guide 
to conduct me to the Cheese-Wring, a collection of stones of vast size 
piled upon each other in an extraordinary manner ; whether by nature, 
or by art, seems to be conjectural. After some delay William Moone, 
a Barber, who said He had often followed the Hounds in that direction 
undertook to be my guide. Some said the distance we should have to 
go wd. be 9 miles ; Moone sd. not more than Six miles, & I believe He 
was right. At 3 oClock in the afternoon we set off and reached the Cheese- 
Wring at |- past 4. It is situated on the side of a small Hill of a conical 
form, the surface of it studded with pieces of rock. When we arrived at 
the foot of the Hill my guide told me we could go no farther on Horse- 
back ; but having been more accustomed to travel in mountainous 
countries than had been His lot, I shewed Him the way & ascended with- 
out danger or difficulty. 

The Cheese-wring is a very singular object. It consists of 6 or 7 
stones placed one above another. The upper stones of prodigious size 

112 



1810] The Cheese-wring lis 

resting upon smaller ones below. The general form of the whole has 
somewhat of a circular appearance which accts. for the name given to it 
which implies as here meant " Cheese upon Cheese." The height of this 
pile is said to be 34 feet, but being foreshortened to those who stand to 
view it where they can see its parts it does not appear to be so high 
raised. — Were the Cheese-wring placed like Stone Henge in a situation 
far removed from anything of its own quality or were it more insulated 
than it is, the mind wd. probably with little hesitation consider it to be 
a stupendous work of human labour ; but here it is surrounded by rocks 
& stones exhibiting an infinite variety of forms, & some of them both in 
figure and size so singular and large as almost to claim equal attention. 
My conjecture therefore could only be that the Cheese-wring with all 
that accompanies it is an operation of nature. — Having made a careful 
sketch of this curious pile I returned to Liskeard, & on my way made 
another sketch of a collection of large stones bearing one of greater size 
which forms a roof over the other stones. This had much the appearance 
of a Druidical erection. It is called " The Trevathy Stone." — At 8 
oClock I got to Liskeard and dined. — 

August 31. — I should have noticed in my account of yesterday that 
on my way to the Cheese-wring I passed the Hurlers a line of stones which 
have the appearance of a regular arrangement. The superstitious tradi- 
tion respecting them is that they were men turned into stones as a punish- 
ment for having played at the game of hurling on a Sunday. — 

After breakfast I took a Chaise to East Looe, 9 miles distant, and 
left Liskeard which is a Borough town & returns two members to 
Parliament. 

Being desirous of reaching Polperrow this evening I applied for a Boat 
for that purpose ; and having the last year passed a day at East Looe 
I had nothing to detain me ; but to one unacquainted with its situation 
& pleasing scenery, I should recommend a short stay which would be 
well rewarded.— 

A Blind Boatman 

At I past one oClock I entered the Boat I had hired ; and the wind & 
tide being unfavourable the Boatmen proceeded with oars only. They 
were Father & Son in I^aw ; the former told me He had been blind 34 
years, caused by His having struck one of his eyes with a needle whilst 
mending a sail. He said He did not suffer much pain. " It was like the 
touch of a fly upon His eye," but He lost the sight of it, and in two years 
the sight of the other eye. Yet, in this apparently helpless state, this 
industrious man continued His occupations ; went out to fish ; and placed 
His nets with more judgment than most of those who were so employed ; 
could mend sails, and in short seemed scarcely to want eyesight. He 
brought up a large family of children, five of whom He told me He 
never saw ; and never had assistance or applied for relief. This He 
modestly expressed, but with seeming satisfaction. I met Him walking 

VOL. VI. 8 



114 The Farington Diary [isio 

alone in the town, and when He was recommended to me I objected to 
Him on aect. of His unfitness ; but I was assured I could not employ a 
better man, & so it proved. — 

Polperro 

Soon after leaving the Harbour of Looe we approached Looe Island, 
a rock in the Sea, covered with a fine green pasturage, and of sufficient 
size to have two or three small dwellings upon it which are inhabited by 
those who look after the sheep & cattle which are upon it. This Island 
belongs to Sir Harry Trelawny.* — After leaving Looe Island there was 
nothing to engage the attention till the Boat approached the Harbour of 
Polperrow, when a scene singularly romantic and picturesque open'd 
to the view. Polperrow is a small fishing port almost wholly inhabited 
by fishermen. — It consists of a number of Houses clustered together 
which cover the lower part of a steep Hill which is the boundary of the 
head of the Harbour. They were built of stone or of mortar of various 
colours. The roofs are of slate. Everything that comes into the view 
has a character of simplicity, and is in perfect unison. It is formed for 
the Landscape Painter. — 

Here I took up my lodging for the night, & dismissed the Boatmen. 
Their charge was six shillings, and with this and a little Beer they were 
well satisfied. The distance we had come was not more than five miles, 
but they had rowed against wind and tide. We were two Hours on our 
passage. — 

No, No Sir. No 

Some peculiarities of the Cornish people I had before & did now 
notice. They speak in a singing tone ; and, as " Yes sure " is always 
in the mouth of a Devonshire man, so when a Cornish man, in this part 
of the country at least, answers in the negative He does it with this 
repitition " No, No Sir. No."— 

The evening was dull with misty rain, which caused me to remain in 
my Inn, The Ship, kept by a widow, a woman of some property. I 
was treated with civility, and in a very small House had all the accommo- 
dation I could reasonably desire. — 

* See Vol. v., page 277«. 



CHAPTER XXXIII 

1810 

Westward Ho ! 

Jefferies, the Seaman 

September 1. — After breakfast I went to the rocks at the entrance 
of the harbour and being favoured by the weather passed several Hours 
in tinting a sketch of Polperrow.* — At half past 3 I dined. — Having 
recollected that Jefferies, the Seaman, who was put on shore on a desert 
Island in the West Indies by His Commander, the Honble. Captn. Lake,t 
was said to be a native of this place I was induced to ask some questions 
respecting Him, which led to my being told that His mother continued 
to reside at Polperrow, and that I might see Her. All of those I spoke 
to believed Jefferies to be dead, and that all the reports to the contrary 
were published by the friends of Captn. Lake hoping thereby to prevent 
any further discussion of this subject which so greatly agitated the 
pubhc mind. — 

His Mother 

September 2. — ^Mrs. Coade, mother to Jefferies, the Seaman, called 
upon me, a woman of very respectable appearance. The account she 
gave me was as follows, " The name of my first Husband was Jefferies. 
We lived at Fowey & had several children, Robert Jefferies, the un- 
fortunate young man spoken of was the eldest. He was born at Fowey ;t 
but whilst He was an infant we removed to Polperrow where my Husband 
died. The name of my second Husband is Coade. He is a Blacksmith, 
& brought up my son Robert Jefferies to this trade. About three years 
ago when very young He went out in a Privateer, as Armourer, and from 
that Ship was pressed into the King's service, & so came under the com- 
mand of Captn. Lake : at Christmas next, my son, if Hving, wd. be 21 

* Polperro is a well-known artists' haunt. 

t Son of General Viscount Lake. 

I Fowey, a quaint little Cornish seaport, was more important long ago than it was 
in Farington's day or our own. We respect the " Gallants of Fowey " as sincerely as we 
do the " Sea-dogs of Devon." It is to-day best known as the " Troy Town " of Sir A. 
Quiller-Couch's novel of that name. He resides there at " The Haven." 

VOL. VL 115 8* 



116 The Farington Diary [isio 

years old. When Captn. Lake put Him on Shore He was not i8 years 
old. Another Man of the name of Lecky went from Polperrow, was 
pressed, and saw my son put on shore but was not in the boat with Him. 
— Whilst the case of my son was before the Parliament, Mr, Whitbread, 
M.P.,* wrote a letter to my Husband, Coade, which I have now in 
my house." 

Farington Comforted Her 

She then went to Her House for the letter which I read. It was 
dated Cardington, April 23rd, 1810, & stated that He had communicated 
the answer which He had reed, from Mr. Job (a very respectable & 
wealthy inhabitant of Polperrow)t to Sir Francis Burdett, and to the 
Admiralty, who had ordered Lecky & another Seaman to be sent for. — 
That Coade's loss of His Son's service could not be acted upon unless 
His death was certain, and in that case Mr. Whitbread feared that Coade's 
situation would be lost in the consideration of the crime of Captn. Lake 
towards the public. He concluded that Coade might write again to Him 
if He saw occasion for it. — Mrs. Coade told me they had not again written 
to Mr. Whitbread, but intended it, to request His opinion of the reports 
which had been circulated of Robert Jefferies being alive. — I endeavoured 
to comfort Her by saying, That there had appeared in the Newspapers 
accounts of Her son being well & settled in America, & that they did seem 
to be authentic. 

How Fishermen Live 

The Church to which the people of Polperrow go is two or three miles 
distant from the Port. My desire was to get to Fowey, 6 miles distant, 
in time for morning service, & I rose early for that purpose, and had hired 
a Horse and a guide but I was not able to leave Polperrow till past nine 
oClock. We went but slowly and a longer time passed while we were 
upon the road than I had reckoned upon ; not on account of any objects 
to be seen for excepting the pillar [which stands 120 feet high] erected 
to the memory of the first Lord Chatham at Boconnoc, the late Lord 
Camelford'st which appeared at the distance of many miles, I saw 
nothing to remark. — 

Whilst we were on our way my guide gave me the following informa- 
tion. — In Polperrow there are abt. 1400 inhabitants. Whilst the smug- 
gling trade was carried on money was plentiful, but that being over the 
condition of the people is much changed ; but they live and are healthy, 
& few of the children that are born die. Not so in Plymouth said He, 
where a large proportion die very young. The Fishermen & their 
families live upon Fish, bread & Potatoes, and never think of eating 

* Samuel Whitbread, brewer and politician. See previous volumes. 

t Zephaniah Job, lessee of the Barton of West Lanfalloes, near Polperro. 

t Thomas Pitt, second Baron Camelford, who was killed in a duel with Mr. Best. 
See Index, Vols. II., IV. and V. 



1810] Early Marriages 117 

animal food, but on Sundays, & they are then the worse for it. The Ufe 
of a Fisherman is not a life of hard labour, otherwise they wd. require 
animal food. — The gains of a Fisherman are of course uncertain, but may 
be averaged at 60 or 70 pounds a year. — 

The men & women marry at a very early age, & generally signs of 
connexion make it necessary for the credit of the female. But when 
this sign does appear the men are very faithful ; and [when] a marriage 
has been solemnized there is no after reproach. — A considerable propor- 
tion of the inhabitants of Polperrow are methodists. They assemble 
together to the number of perhaps one hundred on Sundays at 7 in the 
morning, sing Psalms, and several will rise in succession and make ex- 
tempore prayers, they having no Methodist preacher at their morning 
meetings ; but at their meetings in the evening of Sundays, they have 
one, persons of this description going as my Guide said, like Excisemen 
from place to place to officiate in this capacity. He added that these 
Methodist meetings do not affect the people with respect to the Church, 
to which they go regularly — 

King of the Place 

He spoke of the high value of the land adjoining Polperrow on which 
cows graze which lets for Eight guineas an acre. — He informed me that 
Mr. Job who has larger property and greater influence than any other 
inhabitant of Polperrow, is a native of Penzance & came from thence 
without a shilling. He sd. Mr. Job is King of the place, and held in 
much respect for His good qualities, & His Clerk is one of the best of men. 

When we arrived at the Ferry where we had the river to cross to 
Fowey I found it was too late for morning service, which had begun before 
I could reach the Inn. I stopped at the Ship Inn kept by two young 
women of the name of Hoals. At one oClock it was proposed to me to 
dine at the Ordinary which I agreed to, and found there two young 
men only, who from their conversation I learnt travelled for orders in 
some mercantile line. I found them very good humoured and com- 
municative, & I obtained from them much useful information respecting 
the Inns & roads in Cornwall, & Devonshire. One of them told me that 
He had in the last fourteen years travelled through these counties twice 
in each year. — 

At 3 oClock I went to Fowey Church to Divine Service which was 
very thinly attended. In this Church there is not an Organ & there 
was no singing. — 



CHAPTER XXXIV 

1810 

Westward Ho ! 

A Violent Partisan 

September 2. — Between four & five oClock I took a Boat to carry 
me to Lostwithiel* Six miles from Fowey. The tide was at the best 
point, and the evening being fine, the passage up the river Fowey was 
deHghtful. In an Hour & thirty five minutes I was at Lostwithiel 
having used oars only. I paid for the Boatmen four shillings & sixpence. 
Much of this passage was through Scenery very like that of a Lake. 
Pennyquite, which formerly belonged to Mr. Rashleigh and now to Mr. 
Tremayne Junr.f on the left of the river is a beautiful situation. On 
the right St. Winnow posessed by the Revd. Mr. [Robert] Walker, seems 
almost to rival it. — My companions at dinner availed themselves of my 
going up the river to accompany me & I was glad to oblige them with 
the opportunity. They told me that Mr. Walker has lately had a contest 
with Finden, publisher of the Cornwall newspaper, who from having 
been a very violent partizan against the present government has now 
become their supporter. After the battle of Corunna & death of Sir 
John Moore He put his paper in mourning & exhibited something of 
the Gibbet kind on the margin to signify what was due to the adminis- 
tration. 

When He changed from holding these sentiments to the opposite it 
gave great offence to many & in some way Mr. Walker came into contact 
with him on this acct. The result of Finden's conduct has been the 
establishing another Newspaper which it is expected will have a serious 
effect upon this property of Finden. At Lostwithiel I went to the 

* One of the old Stannary Towns of Cornwall, for which Joseph Addison once sat in 
Parliament. 

t John Hearlc Tremayne, one of the M.P.'s for the county, and son of the Rev. Henry 
Hawkins Tremayne, of Heligan. 

118 



1810] 



A Vast Chasm 119 



Talbot Inn, Mrs. Roberts, where there is good accommodation. She 
informed me that She is Godmother to Lane* a Student of the Royal 
Academy, a promising young artist much patronised by Lord de Dunstan- 
ville.t She said Lane was born at Polperrow at a small House opposite 
to the Inn she then kept in that place. — 

September 4. — ^At 9 I went to Kirclaise tin mine, two miles distant, 
and made a sketch of the interior of the mine, it being an open mine, a 
vast chasm, in which mining is carried on, and the machinery used adds 
to the interest & to the variety of the scene. The depth of the chasm 
is very considerable ; but the walk to the bottom is made easy by form- 
ing the path in an angular manner. When arrived there the view up- 
wards on every side is sublime. The mind has an awful feeling of the 
vastness of the whole, and contemplating immensity, admires the sin- 
gularity of many of the parts, which, in spiral forms, shoot up like the 
much reported glaciers in Switzerland, those pointed masses of Ice 
which excite in the traveller surprise and admiration. The resemblance 
is brought nearer by the rocks of this mine being of the colour of chalk, 
and wanting only transparency to make the similitude complete. — 

The Miners were Kind 

This was my second visit to this mine, in which I made a drawing in 
October last. Having fixed upon another situation for the same purpose 
I sat down & commenced a sketch under very unfavourable circum- 
stances. I had to endure a cold North wind, with the apprehension of 
rain. In this predicament I experienced great kindness & respect from 
those of the miners who were working near me. One of them threw 
His Thick waistcoat over me to protect me against the cold ; another 
held my umbrella over me, and thus I was enabled to remain a consider- 
able time, but at last my fear of the cold which had chilled me much 
got the better of my desire to proceed, & I took my leave of my kind 
assistants sooner than I would willingly have done. — 

Kirclaise tin mine may be viewed without the least difficulty by 
those who being at St. Austellt may be disposed to ride or walk the short 
distance of two miles. A Horse may advance to almost the edge of 
the mine, & the length, and width, and depth of this excavation may 
be fully seen, with the machinery, & the miners who appear like spots 
below. — Kirclaise tin mine is the largest open mine in Cornwall. 

* John Bryant Lane (1778-1868) was originally intended for the medical profession. 
After exhibiting at the Royal Academy from 1808 to 18 13, he went to Rome, where he 
worked for fifteen years mainly on_a^.large painting entitled " The Vision of Joseph," which 
was not shown at the Academy. To it in 183 1 and in 1832 he contributed a portrait of 
Lord de Dunstanville, the second one having been painted for the Royal Institution at 
Truro. 

t See foot-note Chapter V. 

t The centre of the china-clay industry. 



120 The Farington Diary [I810 

Kynance Cove 

On my return to St. Austell I was informed that the Tides were 
now favourable for seeing objects upon the Sea Coast which cannot 
be approached but at low waters, I therefore resolved to postpone 
what I had to do in the vicinity of St, Austell, and after dinner pro- 
ceeded in the Mail Coach to Truro, and arrived there before 8 oClock, 
at the Hotel, an excellent House for a country town, with beds such as 
I do not recollect to have seen in any other Inn, and a Chambermaid 
who attended to everything that could be required. This material 
point was very satisfactory, but there was too much noise & bustle 
in the House for me to approve it equally in other respects, — 

September 5. — Took a Chaise to Helston* i8 miles before breakfast. 
I lost no time in ordering a Chaise to carry me to Kynance Cove, lo miles 
distant, this being a point upon the coast which had been particularly 
recommended to my notice. Everything favoured my purpose, I 
arrived there soon after 12 oClock at the right time of tide, the water then 
admitting my walking upon the sand to the Cove which cannot be done 
at high water, — 

A Rude Work of Art 

On approaching this part of the Coast which is about two miles west 
of the Lizard point, the eye is struck with the appearance of a rock 
shooting up like a tower to great height above the center of a vast mass 
of insulated rock. The road then winds down to the beach, which is 
a flat of the finest sand and so dry and hard that the foot step makes no 
impression. Here I found a Cart with Boys who were employed in 
collecting sand ; and one of them became my guide for explanation. 
He first took me into the Cove which is entered through two or three 
apertures, but one of them opens directly into it. The Cove is an ex- 
cavation made by the Sea which has perforated the rock in such a way 
as to give it somewhat the appearance of a rude work of art. The 
principal entrance to the Cove would admit a Horse & probably a man 
upon it. The interior of it is a large apartment formed by nature the 
floor of fine light sand, and the walls and arched ceiling, of dark rock. 

* The " Furry Dance," which Is celebrated at Helston on May 8th (Flora Day), consists 
of couples dancing to a solemn tune adown and up the streets, through houses and flower- 
brightened gardens. In old days anyone found at work on that day was liable to be 
ducked in the Coker river. 

The rigmarole sung to usher in the festival begins : 

" Robin Hood and Little John 
They both are gone to the fair, O ! 
And we will away to the merry greenwood, 
To see what they do there, O I " 

King John exempted the inhabitants of Helston from paying tolls anywhere but in 
the city of London and from being impleaded except in their own town. 




Kynance Cove. 



IE. Leach. 




[£. Leach. 



' The I.ove Pool. 



[To jace p. 120. 



1810] A Rude Work of Art 121 

Having seen excavations upon a much greater scale I was not much 
affected with the appearance of Kynance Cove, but other parts of this 
scenery I surveyed with admiration, particularly an insulated rock near 
the Cove. This vast mass reared on and towered to a height which made 
the people at the foot of it appear so small that I could not use them 
as a scale to calculate its size. This pile standing, as it appears to the 
eye, in the center of a circle of immense rocks forms a very picturesque 
arrangement, which I endeavoured to represent in a sketch 



CHAPTER XXXV 

1810 

Westward Ho ! 

The Devil's Bellows 

September 5. — I next ascended high rocks by which I got nearer 
to the tower-like rock which I first saw, and having gratified myself 
with looking in every direction I sat down on my way back, to contem- 
plate the scene before me. In a short time I was alarmed by a roaring 
sound and the issuing of a body of water which was discharged from a 
crevice in a rock near me with the force of a piece of artillery. Finding 
that the spray reached me I shifted my situation & waited for a repetition 
of this singular effect. In a few minutes it was repeated with greater 
force. It happens at a certain time of tide, and the country people 
give it the name of " The Devil's bellows." This collision of air & water 
is a curious exhibition of the force of the former. 

Sublime and Beautiful 

Having passed several Hours at Kynance Cove I reascended the Hill 
above it, and on the grass took some refreshment which I had brought 
from Helston, & cheered the spirits of my driver & guide with their full 
proportion of it. — From this spot the view was sublime & beautiful. 
The Sun was declining & gave a deeper colour and broader shadows to 
the mass of rocks which in various forms stood far into the Sea, and the 
wide extended ocean filled up the scene to the Horizon. 

I had now to go to the Lizard point, which being the Southernmost 
extremity of England my curiosity led me to it. The distance being 
short I was soon there, and finding nothing to notice but two large light 
Houses which are illuminated every evening, & having little time to give 
to contemplation, I could only remark that the situation is solitary & 
uninteresting : that a single small House is placed near the light Houses ; 
— that there is a little village near it which has the meanest appearance 
of [any of] those to be found in England, and that the road from the 
Lizard point to Helston is in nearly a right line of 12 miles through a 
country open and little cultivated. — 

122 



1810] 



The Looe Pool 123 



September 6. — Having been informed that Mr. Rogers of Penrose 
near Helston,* Brother-in-law to Lord De Dunstanville, was in the town, 
I went to Him and delivered a letter of introduction from His Lordship. 
He immediately offered to ride with me to the Looe Pool,t and to shew 
me what had been noticed in this neighboroud, to which He added an 
invitation to dine with Him. He first took me to the Church yard which 
beii>g an elevated situation I could from thence see much of the country 
including the Looe Pool which appears like a small Lake. It seemed to 
be abt. a mile in length, and is a fresh water Pool. At the South end 
it is separated from the Sea by a Bar of Sand. It frequently happens 
that the water of the Pool is so much increased in quantity from streams 
flowing into it after heavy rains, that being overcharged it stops the 
Mills, & produces other inconveniences. It is then necessary to cut 
through the bed of Sand to allow the water of the pool to flow into the 
Sea. 

On granting leave to have the Bar cut, Mr. Rogers receives each 
time 2 leather purses with three half pence in each purse. — Mr. Rogers 
proposed that we should ride to the Bar of Sand, and make a circuit to 
His House which stands on the west side of the Pool which we attempted 
but repeated showers prevented us from accomplishing our purpose. — 



Wreck of the " Anson " Frigate 

It was on this Bar of Sand that the Anson Frigate was lost [1807] 
& the Commander, Captn. [Lydiard] was drowned. He having resolutely 
persevered in remaining in the ship till it was too late to save Him. In 
the same season, a little before the period of this melancholy accident, 
a transport with Cavalry troops was lost abt. a mile and | from the Bar. 
The Vessel struck in the night, & the country people who had seen Her 
distressed situation immediately went to the shore to give assistance 
even at the risk of their lives. The tide was for sometime favorable ; 
and there being several Ladies passengers on board, they were seated 
one after another, in a Cabbin Chair, and let down into the Sea, & were 
dragged through the Surf by the people on shore who had been able to 
fasten a rope to the Chair. 

* John Rogers was married to Margaret, daughter of Francis Basset, who was Lord de 
Dunstanville' s father. The Penrose lands were acquired in 1770 by Hugh Rogers, the 
father of John, who himself purchased the Helston property in 1798. The two estates, 
together covering about ten thousand acres, were inherited by the latter' s son, the Rev. 
John Rogers, who was a distinguished Hebrew and Syriac scholar. 

t Tradition has it that Looe pool disputes with Dozmary, on Bodmin Moor, as to which 
is the lake where Sir Bedivere threw Excalibur at King Arthur's command. 



124 The Farington Diary [I810 

Women and Officers Saved 

After the Ladies, all the Officers were got on shore in the same manner. 
Unfortunately much time was lost in repeating this for each person 
singly. The consequence was that the tide flowed in before it was 
possible to bring off the soldiers, and the Surf run so high that all at- 
tempts made for the purpose failed. These unfortunate men had forbore 
from making any exertion to save themselves, and with a perfect sub- 
mission to the authority of their Officers saw all but themselves carried 
off from their perilous situation, Mr. Rogers told me He saw these 
gallant men, standing on the wreck, scarcely loo yards from the Shore, 
waiting their fate. The only hope left was that the vessel might hold 
together against the heavy billows brought up by the tide. 

A Watery Grave 

It was now daylight, & extreme anxiety filled every breast. Suddenly 
the ship broke in two under the weight of the waves ; and a roUing 
Sea overwhelming that part of the ship on which the men stood, — 
a violent cry was heard, and the whole of them were instantly buried in 
the surf ; not a man of them escaped ; & thirty-Six bodies of fine young 
men in the flower of life, were afterwards taken from their watery grave 
& placed in a row on the Shore previous to their being interred together 
near the spot. — 

A Fortunate Widow 

In the Ship when she struck was a young Lady the widow of an 
Officer who was killed at Buenos Ayres. She was left witht. a Husband, 
& without means of support. When she was let down from the Ship 
Her mind was in such a state of distress as to leave Her witht. a wish to 
oe preserved. She was brought on shore a stranger, witht. a friend or 
any being to whom she could have recourse. She was a native of Ireland, 
& knew none out of Her own Country. Thus miserable & forlorn Provi- 
dence had in its goodness so ordered that Here where she had given her- 
self up to despair she found all the benefits which could arise from 
humanity. Mr. Rogers took her under His protection ; comforted Her 
in every way in His power ; and by active exertions, and a strong re- 
presentation of Her case, procured for Her a subscription to the amount 
of Eight Hundred Pounds ; accompanied Her to London ; and there, 
by His interest, obtained a pension for Her & some other advantages, 
and enabled Her to return to Her own Countryeasy in Her circumstances 
& grateful for the blessings bestowed upon Her. — 



CHAPTER XXXVI 

1810 

Westward Ho ! 

The Delectable Duchy 

September 6. — Being now within less than 30 miles of the Land's- 
end, the most western point of England, I remarked to Mr. Rogers that 
I was rather surprised to see much wheat still standing, as I had concluded 
that the Harvest would be over in this part of the Island. He said 
" In this country we have Spring throughout the year ; In the Winter 
we have not severe cold ; and the Heat of our Summers is temperate. 
The glass (The Thermometer) at 75 is considered to be at a high point. 
In the Midland Counties there is more heat and great vigour of vegeta- 
tion ; and the produce of the earth sooner ripens." — 

Penrose, the House of Mr. Rogers, is situated at the Head of a Valley 
on rising ground above the Looe Pool, & being surrounded with woods 
of full growth has a singularly rich appearance, all without it being wild 
and barren. A walk of a mile reaches to the sea. The Pool is well 
stored with Fish, and a Boat is placed for the purpose of sailing or fishing. 
It is abt. a mile and Half long. — 

Women Live Longer 

At 4 oClock we dined at Penrose. — I was very kindly reed, by Mrs. 
Rogers, Sister of Lord De Dunstanville. — Mr. & Mrs. Rogers have 17 
children living, & have buried one. — Their two elder Sons are Clergymen, 
— one has the living of Redruth, — the other [the Rev. John Rogers], that 
of Mawnan, 5 miles from Falmouth. They have a Son in the East 
Indies ; and one in the Navy ; the remainder are daugrs. One of them 
married to Mr. [Thomas] Hartley, a gentleman of Yorkshire now a 
resident [at Bonython] near Marazion. — Mr. [Francis] Wills & Mr. 
[Thomas] Grylls, are agents to Mr. Rogers. We had some conversation 
respecting the Climate of Cornwall ; and I wished to know whether 
in this mild atmosphere people are remarked to live longer than they 
do in the Northern parts. There was some hesitation in replying to me, 
but it was observed by them that there are many instances of women 

125 



126 The Farington Diary [isio 

living to a great age. Mr. Grylls concurred in opinion with Mr. Rogers 
in regard to vegetation. — 

At tea Mrs. Rogers spoke of a tour she made in Westmorland & Cum- 
berland 19 years ago. She remarked that the people in Westmorland, 
particularly have more simplicity than those in Cornwall. 

St. Michael's Mount 

September 7. — ^At 9 left Helston in a chaise & proceeded to Mara- 
zion* 10 miles. On my way I walked to Pengersick Castle Half a mile 
from the road. I found it a ruin of a building which had nothing inter- 
esting in its appearance either from its size or its form. It belonged to 
the Godolphin family, & is now the property of the Duke of Leeds. 

At Marazion I went to the Star Inn, which stands upon the shore 
facing St. Michael's mount, & perhaps from no [other] point does the rock 
& Castle appear to greater advantage. Here I found accommodations 
that were quite satisfactory to one disposed to be contented. Having 
made my arrangements with Mrs. Clements, the Landlady, I went and 
with the advantage of the finest weather, began to make a drawing, 
an East view of the Mount. On my return to the Inn in the afternoon 
I was informed that Lord de Dunstanville with a party, was gone to 
dine at the Mount, where Sir Thomas Dacre Leonard,t Brother in Law 
to Sir John St. Aubyn, owner of the Island, was with His family. I 
wrote a note to His Lordship, & soon after I had dined, saw Him with 
His party, walking across the neck of land which at low water unites 
the Island with the main land. He called upon me & then set off for 
Tehidy, 12 or 14 miles from the mount. It had been fixed by Mr. Rogers 
that I shd. meet His Lordship at Penrose on Monday. — 

September 8. — Before breakfast made a finished sketch of St. 
Michael's Mount from the Star Inn. I next hired a Boat with two 
Fishermen to take me round the Island, which they undertook to do 
and to allow me time for making sketches, for a reward of four shillings. 
The weather was very fine, & the sea sufficiently smooth to enable them 
to keep the boat nearly stationary wherever I chose to remain. This 
rock, with its Castle, is a noble subject for a painter. The west front 
of it which faces the Ocean is the most rugged & precipitous. The form 
& the Colour of it is beautiful, & all the parts are so much in unison ; 
the Castle is in all respects in 9uch harmony with the rock upon which it 
stands, as almost to seem a natural part of it. The general colour of 

* Marazion, or Market Jew, has apparently no association with Jews or Zion, but is 
probably a corruption of Marghas, the old Cornish word for market. It is notable only as 
being the starting-point for St. Michael's Mount. 

t Thomas Barrett Lennard, born January 6th, 1762, was the natural and testamentary 
heir of Thomas Barrett Lennard, Lord Dacre ; assumed, by sign manual, the surname 
and arms of Barrett-Lennard, and was created a baronet on June 30th, 1801. He 
married in 1787 Dorothy, daughter of Sir John St. Aubyn, fifth baronet (1758-1839, see 
Vol. v., page 278«.), and died in 1857. 



1810] The Cheerful Boatmen 127 

the rock is grey of various degrees ; such also is that of the Castle ; 
but in both there is a mixture of other tints which by their opposition 
give greater effect to the whole. The Herbage which forms a part of the 
surface is of a mild and subdued colour, well agreeing with the grave 
hue of the castle & rock. 

The Bass rock at the mouth of the Firth of Forth, and the rock of 
Dumbarton in the Clyde, are famed features of nature in their respective 
situations ; but cannot either of them be compared with St. Michael's 
Mount, which far exceeds them in elegance of form & picturesque beauty. — 
I passed a considerable time in contemplating the Island from various 
points & in sketching ; & my Boatmen being satisfied with the bargain 
they had made, and being young and chearful, they sung, while I pursued 
my purpose. They told me they were engaged six weeks ago by a person 
of property in the neighboroud, at the rate of fourteen shillings each 
per week, to fish for pilchards ; that they had hitherto been unsuccess- 
ful, the pilchards not having appeared ; & that the Season wd. soon be 
over, & that they have no further interest in this speculation beyond 
their weekly pay, the profit or loss falling upon their employer. The 
time of their going out to fish I understood to be in the earliest part 
of the afternoon, & they continue out till abt. 8 oClock at night. In 
the night the pilchards sink low in the water, too deep for the nets. 

September 9. — At Marazion there is a small Church, but I was in- 
formed it is seldom used. A Methodist meeting House is the place 
to which the inhabitants go ; it is used in the interval between the morn- 
ing & evening meetings as a Sunday School. There is also a Baptist 
meeting House which is frequented. 

In Barbary 

In the evening at 5 oClock, the Mail Coach from Penzance passed 
through Marazion, in which I returned to Helston. In the Coach I 
found a genteel young man who told me He left Mogador, in Barbary, 
abt. a month ago. He went there in January last, and soon found the 
heat of that climate too powerful for His constitution. He had fevers 
repeatedly, & was so reduced as to leave no hope of His being able to 
live in that Country. Mogador is situated upon sand, waste and un 
productive, but the interior of the country is fruitful. The town is large, 
but dismal to behold. The windows of the Houses look into the Courts 
round which they are built. Women are scarcely seen. The natives 
hold those who come to their country in great contempt. They are 
not admitted into the Mosques. All business done with them is in the 
streets. Yet with all this they have a high idea of the power of England 
& France which, they say command all other countries. The French 
have Consuls at Mogador, who take much pains to prevent supplies of 
provisions from being carried to Gibraltar, but have not succeeded. 



128 The Farington Diary [I810 

The French Attacked 

He said He left Barbary in a Ship richly laden with gums &c., and had 
proceeded almost to the Irish Coast when on Monday last they were 
attacked by a French Schooner from St. Malo. Having no means of 
defence they surrendered immediately. The French men who first 
boarded the ship had a Lieutenant at their head, and behaved very 
roughly ; but upon being addressed in French by some of those on board, 
they became civil, & treated their prisoners with respect. The Captain 
of the Schooner had then an American vessel in His pos.ession, & He 
agreed to let the Captn, of the English vessel, with my companion and 
others who were on board, go to England in the American ship, taking 
their promise to endeavour to obtain the release of as many French 
prisoners as their number amounted to. The motive for this act they 
concluded to be an unwillingness to burden Himself with so many men 
as He otherwise must have done, or to have lessened His number by 
sending part of His Crew with this vessel to France. When they left 
the French Schooner the Captain allowed them to bring several necessaries 
with them. Their trunks were opened on the decks to shew to the French- 
men what they contained ; this the Captn. said must be done to satisfy 
them as to what was given up. 

All letters found were detained. The Captn. declaring that the Seals 
were not to be broken, but the letters were to be delivered sealed to a 
public ofhce at their port. — Having taken leave of the French Captain 
they made the best of their way to England, and soon arrived at Pen- 
zance. — In this instance was shewn the advantage of being able to speak 
the French language ; and of the Social feeling which is excited when 
there can be communication in language familiar to the parties who are 
thus brought together. Here it caused Barbarous outrage to be softened 
even into liberality. 



CHAPTER XXXVII 

1810 

Westward Ho ! 

A Theatre Brawl 

September 10. — In the afternoon, I walked to Penrose to dinner, 
and found the family party assembled. We dined soon after 4 oClock. — 

Before dinner on my looking at a picture of the late Mr, Bassett, 
father to Lord de Dunstanville, It led to a conversation respecting His 
rencontre with the late General Johnson* at the Opera House, which 
was much spoken of at the period when it happened. Mr. Bassett 
being one of many gentlemen who according to the Custom of that time 
stood upon the stage near the Scenes, was grossly insulted by Johnson, 
who ridiculing Mr. Bassett's small figure, treated Him otherways with 
contempt. Johnson was celebrated for His skill in fencing & being 
a tall man had every advantage ; but on this occasion nearly lost His 

* T. Frederick Halsey, Gaddesden Place, Hemel Hempstead, writes : I was interested 
to read in the Farington Diary, his version of an incident in the early life of my ancestor, 
James Johnston (not Johnson). 

The origin of the quarrel was not quite as stated by Farington, though the result 
was as he describes, but it may interest your readers to know how the ban on Major John- 
ston's promotion was eventually removed. 

Some time later Johnston's regiment, being quartered in Lancashire, he was at a 
ball in (I believe) Manchester. Jacobite feeling being at the time strong in that district, 
the band played nothing but Jacobite tunes. 

Johnston spoke to the bandmaster, and pointed out that, as a loyal officer of King 
George, he could not allow this, and requested him to desist. 

The bandmaster, taking no notice of this appeal, Johnston seized his fiddle, bashed 
him on the head with such force that his head came through it, and he was danced about 
the room in that position ! 

This being reported to the King, the ban on his promotion was taken off. He after- 
wards commanded his regiment, the Royals, with great distinction in the " Seven Years' 
War," held several other important appointments, and died a General and Colonel of the 
Inniskilling Dragoons. 

I may perhaps add that from what I know of our family history I am convinced that 
Farington's statements about Lady CeciUa Johnston, my great-great-grandmother, were 
absolutely untrue. 

[The statements were made by Lord de Dunstanville, not by Farington. — Ed.] 

VOL. VI. 129 9 



130 The Farington Diary [I810 

life ; for Mr. Bassett drew His sword & attacked him with such spirit 
as nearly to have run Him through the body. They were instantly 
separated, but His Majesty, George 2nd. happening to be at the Theatre 
that night, the bustle occasioned by this affray caused Him to inquire 
into the occasion of it. He was informed that it was Major Johnson 
who had given the offence, on which His Majesty said "And Major 
Johnson he shall remain." — Lord de Dunstanville told me that Johnson's 
promotion at that time was He believed stopped, that is, during the old 
King's reign. He said that when Johnson was advanced in years He 
knew Him, and had conversation with Him on this subject. Johnson 
said, " That He on this as He believed He had on many other occasions 
acted very improperly ; and with the inconsiderateness and impertinence 
of a vain unthinking young man." Lord de Dunstanville remarked to 
me that whatever improprieties He might have been guilty of He was 
punished for all by His marriage with Lady Cecilia [ ], a perfect 

termagant in disposition, who as far as she was capable of doing it made 
Him miserable. — 

A Landscape Painter 

Lord de Dunstanville mentioned the cause of the death of De Cort,* 
the Landscape painter from Antwerp. On a day when He was very 
warm with walking He went to Lord Grosvenor's to see the Collection 
of pictures and there for the purpose of cooling Himself sat opposite 
to an open window. This caused Him in a very short time to be affected 
with an inflammation in his chest, and He became so ill as to require 
the attendance of a Physician, but His disorder increased ; He became 
delirious & in a very few days died. Having no relation in England, 
the care of his property fell into the hands of a person named Bell- 
chambers, who keeps the Cambridge Coffee House in Newman St. It 
was in consequence of Bellchambers having a Son who was a pupil 
of De Cort that He came forward with the pretension of managing the 
affairs of the deceased. De Cort had stated Him^self to be of a respectable 
family at Antwerp, & that His family had the office of Sheriff of that 
City hereditary in it. 

His Success 

He told Lord de Dunstanville that till He was 40 years of age He 
never practised painting as a profession ; but His situation and that 
of His family having been much changed by political causes which 
operated upon the property of many in the country. He was necessitated 
to fix upon some mode of procuring a livelihood ; and having had recourse 
to His pencil He came to England abt. the year 1790 or 91. — He said He 
had been so successful in His practise that should He live to finish com- 
missions which He had from Mr. Henry Hope, Mr, Phihp Hope, and 

* Hendrick De Cort. See Index, Vol. IV. 



1810] 



His Success isi 



another gentleman amounting together to eight pictures at abt. 150 
guineas each He should then be independent. He had two or three 
Sons who have not followed the industrious example set by their father ; 
but have lived in a dissipated manner, & have subjected Him to much 
expence to discharge debts incurred by them. One of them was in 
England and in the King's Bench prison for debt ; but they are now at 
Antwerp. Lord de Dunstanville said De Cort had read a good deal, & 
had much anecdote, but with some good humour, had a considerable 
share of petulance. His Lordship had five pictures painted by Him ; 
& He recommended Him to Lord Digby* who employed Him to paint 
two views of Sherborne Castle. He also recommended Him to other 
persons. — Dr. Manners, the present Archbishop of Canterbury, employed 
him to paint a large view of Canterbury Cathedral. 

No Self-Respect 

I could have told His Lordship that from what I have heard no 
Artist could have practised more cunning and address in soliciting 
employment and putting himself in a way to be employed than De Cort ; 
and that His modes of obtaining notice for this purpose had been such as 
to cavise him to be thought of with little respect by those artists who 
felt for the credit of their profession, and would not acknowledge in their 
rank a man who shewed so little respect for Himself. — 

In the course of our conversation this evening, I asked Lord de Dun- 
stanville why the number of Parliamentary Boroughs in Cornwall so 
far exceeded that of any other county. He said the only cause He knew 
of was, that in Cornwall the Royal Domains being extensive so as to 
give the Crown considerable aiithority & influence at former periods ; 
it was exercised in this county in making up parliaments, where to 
return members, was considered a grievance on account of the expence 
attending it — the Borough which sent a member being required to make 
Him an allowance to defray His expences. The requisition to return 
members being on this acct. disliked, the Crown looked most to that part 
of the Kingdom which was likely to receive it with the least objection, 
and thus the number of Boroughs in Cornwall became great above all 
proportion. Some of the Cornish Boroughs were after a time relieved 
from this obhgation as they considered it. Marazion, & another Borough, 
on their petitioning were disfranchised. — It occurred to me that there 
might be an additional motive for the Crown to increase the number of 
Cornish Boroughs ; as it might be supposed that members coming to 
Parliament from a County in which there was so much Royal 
influence wd. be most likely to act in obedience to the wishes & views of 
the Crown, which even in despotick times must have been convenient 
& agreeable.- 

* Edward, second Earl Digby. 



VOL. VI. 



132 The Farington Diary [I810 

Two Electors 

Mr. Rogers told me that for some time He was one of the Members 
returned by Helston ; and that it was remarkable that at one period 
(in Mr. Rogers's time) there were only two Electors, the number having 
been diminished by deaths. The number of Electors is now i6, of which 
Mr. Rogers is one. — 

After our walk we had tea, & I then had a pleasant ride to Helston by 
moonhght. It was Helston fair, and there were still so many people, 
and Cattle, and Canvass standings for the Show of goods, &c., that it 
looked by night like an encampment. — 

September 11. — With [Mr. Heath] the Collector I had some conversa- 
tion respecting the climate of Cornwall. He said the mildness of the 
weather in the winter Season is such that for 4 or 5 years past there 
has been no ice strong enough to bear skating upon it. In the bleak 
moorish part of the country abt. Bodmin it might. He believed, be other- 
wise. — 

Having leisure to look over my Diary continued thus far, I now 
make the following addition to the acct. given me by the young man 
from Barbary. He said That though the government of that country is 
perfectly despotick, no apprehension is or need to be entertained unless 
by those who are distinguished for their great property. There are 
many Greeks who are held in contempt & subjection ; and abundance of 
Jews who carry on trade to a great extent. — 

[See Index, Vols. L, II., III., IV., V., for previous references to Henry Hope ; Vols. II., 
III., IV. and v., to Robert, second Earl of Grosvenor, afterwards first Marquess of 
Westminster.] ' 



CHAPTER XXXVIII 
1810 
Westward Ho ! 
The Cornish Miner 

September 12. — At | past 9, IJeft Helston, [and] proceeded in a 
Chaise to Tehidy,* Lord de Dunstanville's, abt. 12 miles but charged 
14 miles, through an open country, & much of it rugged heath, and in 
some places the machinery of mines shewed their situation. 

When I got to Tehidy I found that Lord de Dunstanville was not 
returned from His excursion but wd. be at home at dinner-time ; and I 
employed myself during the interval in regulating my drawings. — 

Before 5 oClock Lord and Lady de Dunstanville & Miss Bassett's 
returned and we dined. — After dinner our conversation turned upon the 
character of the Cornish people. I observed that the impression on the 
minds of those who inhabit other parts of this kingdom is, that the 
Cornish miner has something of the savage character ; but that I had on 
the contrary found them civil & obliging and not at all of the description 
supposed. Lord de Dunstanville said when assembled in bodies they are 
rough when moved by some occasion, but individually are sufficiently 
peaceable. At one period during the French Revolution a very bad 
spirit had got among them, as it had in other parts of the Kingdom. I 
think He said it was in the year 1795 that an insubordinate disposition 
rose to such a height in this part of the county of Cornwall as to cause 
a body of men to assemble & by threats to oblige Millers and Dealers in 
grain to do their business at certain prices fixed by these rioters. This 
happened whilst Lord de Dunstanville was in London, and when His 
Lordship returned to Tehidy no opposition had been made to their 
demands, the Magistrates being afraid to act. 

Rioters Captured 

He, however, told them He wd. shew what could be done, & finding 
their timid disposition, He had recourse to His Brother in Law Mr. Rogers 
of Penrose only, who, at His Lordship's request came over to Tehidy, 

• Tehidy, which was burnt down and rebuilt, is now used as a county sanitorium. 



134 The Farington Diary [I810 

and after taking the depositions of the Millers they immediately swore 
in 80 Constables, who, according to a plan formed, proceeded to take up 
from their beds at 2 oClock in the morning 50 of the most noted of the 
rioters, who were witht. delay conveyed to Bodmin Gaol.* At the 
Assizes which followed this period, they were tried and three of them were 
condemned to die, — some were ordered to be transported, and others were 
sentenced to be imprisoned. After the trials were over Lord de Dun- 
stanville had a private conversation with the Judge, who remarked to 
Him that the execution of one of the three who were sentenced to die 
might have a sufficient effect & that the punishment of the other two 
might be mitigated. In this His Lordship fully concurred, and there 
being one more vicious & profligate than the rest He was left for execu- 
tion. — 

Want of Resolution 

In carrying on this business so necessary for the public security Lord 
de Dunstanville complained of having been put in a very disagreeable 
predicament by the magistrates in addition to their former want of 
resolution. After the trials were over & sentence had been passed they 
addressed His Lordship to obtain a remission of the punishment. He 
replied that they had done that which was very painful to Him, for that 
in refusing to make the application they wished Him to do, it would 
seem to be fixing upon Him the death of anyone who might suffer. He 
added that notwithstanding this disagreeable reflection, He should do 
what He believed to be His duty, and would not prevent an example 
being made which was highly necessary for the benefit of Society. 

The effect of this resolute conduct was soon visible throughout the 
country, and the manners of the people were suddenly changed from rude- 
ness & disrespect to proper obedience. For a very short time there was 
some agitation, and the body of the man who had been executed was 
brought to Camborne abt. 4 miles from Tehidy, attended by a thousand 
persons to witness the funeral & shew their respect. It happened that 
at the time when they were thus assembled Lord de Dunstanville having 
occasion to go that way passed through the place & stopped at the House 
of a Clergyman there who warned Him of His danger. To this He replied 
loud enough to be heard by many of the Mob that the danger wd. be with 
them if they acted improperly. No attempt was made to molest Him, 
& the people dispersed quietly after which order was generally restored. 
Thus by the prudent & manly exertions of His Lordship the evil spirit 
of the time caused by revolutionary notions was effectually banished from 
a district where He had a power of acting for the public good. — 

* Bodmin, " The Monks Town," founded in 936 by Athelstan, it is said, was once the 
chief place in Cornwall, and is still the seat of the Assizes. The County Building is there 
also, as well as a military depot. The town differs Uttle structurally from what it was in 
Queen Elizabeth's time. 



1810] Burke's Prophecy 135 

After speaking upon this subject Lord de Dunstanville adverting to 
the late Mr. Burke, said in His predictions respecting the French Revolu- 
tion He spoke & wrote in the spirit of Prophecy. All He foretold has 
been realised ; He had the largest comprehension and was the most 
extraordinary man of His time. — Mr. Pitt on the contrary was slow in 
believing that a bad spirit was rising in this Country from the example 
set in France ; but being at length persuaded of it, He was prompt and 
vigorous in preventing the growing effects ; and by the Sedition Bill 
which He brought into parliament and carried He saved this country. 



Old Families 

We talked of Old families in Cornwall, Lord de Dunstanville said 
that when Carew* wrote His account of this county towards the end of 
the reign of Elizabeth there were then 20 families existing in Cornwall 
whose ancestors came into England at the Conquest, of which only 3 
or 4 now remain. — Sir John St. Aubyn'st & His Lordship's families 
are included in this number. — Lord Falmouth'st family is comparatively 
of modern date ; & Sir William Lemon's§ grandfather was a miner 
without a shilling, but by industry and good luck acquired ^^200,000. — 
Mr. Gwatkins|| maternal grandfather was Captain Lovel who had a 
packet at Falmouth & made a pretty fortune. — 



* Richard Carew (15 5 5- 1620), poet and antiquary, came of an old Cornish family, of 
which he is the best known member. His father, Thomas Carew, married Elizabeth, 
daughter of Sir Richard Edgcumbe, and Richard, the eldest son, was born at Antony 
House, in the parish of East Antony. Carew says that, when a scholar of three years' 
standing, he was called, " upon a wrong conceived opinion touching my sufficiency," 
to dispute " extempore (tmpar congressus AchilW) with the matchless Sir Philip Sidney 
in presence of the Earls Leicester, Warwick and divers other great personages." Carew 
himself does not record the result of the contest, but later writers state that the contest 
ended in a drawn battle. His book " The Survey of Cornwall " was published in 1602, 
and a second edition, issued in 1723, was reprinted in 1769. In 181 1, the " Survey " with 
added notes by Thomas Tonkin, was published by Francis Lord de Dunstanville. 

t See entry and note, March 31st, 181 1, Chapter LXXL 

X Edward Boscawen (1787-1841), first Earl of Falmouth, was a descendant of a Four- 
teenth Century family. The surname is derived from the lordship of Boscawen-Rose, 
Cornwall, which manor belonged to the Boscawen family in the time of King John. 

Hugh Boscawen, Warden of the Stannaries, Comptroller of the Household, and Privy 
Councillor in 1714, was created first Baron of Boscawen-Rose and Viscount Falmouth on 
June 9th, 1720. His wife was a niece maternally of the Great Duke of Marlborough, and 
his second son Edward became a celebrated admiral. 

§ Lord de Dunstanville married as his second wife Harriet, fourth daughter of Sir 
William Lemon, first baronet. 

II Robert Lovell Gwatkin, of Killion, Truro, married Theophila (Oflfy) Palmer, favourite 
niece of Sir Joshua Reynolds. See Vol. V., pages 156-157. 



136 The Farington Diary [18IO 

Milliner's Work 

Miss Mary Bassett spoke of De Cort ; said He was hot in his temper, 
& when His drawings were said to be pretty wd. cry out " That is a term 
for Milliner's work & such trifles." — He had made a very large number 
of drawings but never sold any or gave them away. He painted 3 
views of Haarlem House in Holland, for Mr. Henry Hope, it having 
been his residence, a subject as little picturesque as possible. 

Being witht. company today the family lived thus : — After a few 
glasses of wine Coffee was brought, to the dinner table, & in a little time 
the Ladies walked out, before tea which was had at 8 oClock. Lord de 
Dunstanville also walked out, saying He had a weak stomach & the open 
air was necessary for him. We retired to bed at Eleven oClock. 



CHAPTER XXXIX 

1810 

Westward Ho ! 

Founder of a Great House 

September 13. — At breakfast brought us the News papers which 
contained an account of the death of Sir Francis Baring* on the nth 
inst. at His House at Lee in Kent. Lord de Dunstanville spoke of this 
event with much regret great friendship having subsisted between them. 
He said Sir Francis was the true Enghsh merchant ; had large and liberal 
principles & no unreasonable ambition. According to His own account 
given to Lord de Dunstanville He began the world with a fortune of 
^10,000, of this He had expended ^£9000 and part of His last thousand 
before He acquired anything but a knowledge of trade & Commerce. 
In the expending His original fortune He had committed no act of ex- 
travagance but it gradually wasted while He was learning the business 
of a merchant. His Lordship then gave an instance of the great liberality 
of Sir Francis. 

A family possessed of an estate at or near Lee in Kent from a change 
in their circumstances found it necessary to dispose of it, & it being offered 
for sale Sir Francis became the purchaser. After the bargain was com- 
pleted He found the purchase had been made at a low rate, upon which 
in addition to what He had paid He presented the family with a gift of 
ten thousand pounds, thereby rendering the sale of the estate an advan- 
tage to them beyond any expectation they could have formed. — 

Lord de Dunstanville read part of a letter He had received from Lord 
Sidmouthjt who He said had entertained but faint hopes of what might 

* Sir Francis Baring (1740-1810) founded the house of Baring Brothers. Franz 
Baring, his grandfather, was a Lutheran Minister at Bremen, and his father, John Baring, 
settled at Larkbear, near Exeter, as a cloth manufacturer. He was deaf from his birth, 
yet he overcame all difficulties and left nearly seven millions of money. See R. Dymond's 
" History of the Parish of St. Leonard, Exeter," 1873. 

His eldest son, Sir Thomas, was the father of the first Lord Northbrook and of Charles 
Bishop of Durham, and his second son was created Lord Ashburton. 

t See Index previous volumes for references to Henry Addington, Viscount Sidmouth. 

137 



138 The Farington Diary [I810 

be done in Spain and Portugal to resist the French, but now began to 
think more favourably, and to believe it not improbable but that those 
countries might maintain their independence. — 

Pitt's Easy Mind 

Mr. Pitt being mentioned Lord de Dunstanville said that at one 
period He had a good deal of intercourse with him, and had in conversa- 
tion remarked upon the vast weight of business which must press upon 
His mind. To this Mr. Pitt replied, that however much engaged He might 
be in the daytime He never carried care to His pillow, but that with his 
cloaths He put off all consideration of business, and being satisfied with 
having done the best He could He went to rest with a free and easy mind. 
I observed to His Lordship that notwithstanding this reasonable reflec- 
tion it shewed great firmness of nerve to be able to compose his mind so 
fully after such exertions as He was frequently obliged to make. — 

Tabbins Hole 

After breakfast I rode with Lord de Dunstanville to about four miles 
from Tehidy. It being low water we were enabled to ride along the coast, 
upon the sands to a sublime piece of scenery, a natural arch not less than 
one hundred feet high through a rock of vast size which stood out to the 
Sea. This arch is called " Tabbins Hole." The rock is completely 
perforated, and on both sides, for we walked through the arch, presents 
the most magnificent appearance of the kind that I recollect to have seen. 
Here I made a sketch, and His Lordship standing under the arch served 
to shew the vast scale upon which this scene is formed. — 

This being the publick day at Tehidy, and company expected, we 
returned to dinner, which was served before 4 oClock. Every Thursday 
is appointed for this purpose & the dinner hour is early for the convenience 
of those who return home. — Mr. Steevens* is one of the Members for St. 
Ives, & resides near that place. Dr. [John] Luke, a Physician, of much 
reputation, residing near Helston, but wishing to change His situation, 
and to practise in London, though towards fifty years of age, is now 
keeping terms at one of the Universities to enable Him to effect this 
agreeably to what is required by the College of Physicians. One of his 
objections to continuing to reside in the Country is the being frequently 
required to ride long distances to visit patients. — Mr. J. Rogers is the 
eldest Son of Mr. Rogers of Penrose and has the living of Mawnan 
five miles from Falmouth. — Mr. [Thomas] Leonard is the eldest Son of 
Sir Thomas Leonard, who married a Sister of Sir John St. Aubyn. 

Of Low Origin 

Lord de Dunstanville told me that Mr. Steevens was born at or near 
St. Ives and is but of low origin. When He offered himself a Candidate 
to represent St. Ives an opposing Candidate reproached him with this 
* Probably John Stephens, of St. Ives. 



1810] 



Carn Brea Hill 139 



circumstance which, however, Mr. Steevens very judiciously turned to 
His own advantage. In His reply He acknowledged that He sprung 
from the lower order of the people, but that He could boast of having a 
very considerable number of the Electors in the list of His relations, & 
hoped to have the gratification of being returned Member by near con- 
nexions. This retort had its effect & He was elected. He married a Lady 
who brought Him a fortune sd. to be ^100,000. — The evening was passed 
as usual ; tea, cards & books for those who chose them. — 

September 14. — Towards noon I rode to Redruth Rectory, with 
Mr. J. Rogers. There I saw His Brother, the Rector, and Mr. Rogers 
of Penrose who had brought over two of His daughters. From hence I 
ascended Carn Brea Hill with Mr. J. Rogers & there made a drawing of 
Carn Brea Castle, including the town of Redruth. The top of Carn Brea 
Hill* is a long ridge upon which there are several Druidical monuments, 
one of them supposed to have been an Altar of Sacrifice. The Castle 
which is situated at the east end of the ridge, is considered to be of Roman 
foundation. What remains is a single tower founded upon a rock which 
serves as a base to the building & seems to form a part of it. — Here Mr. 
J. Rogers who is much inclined to the study of antiquities employed Him- 
self in sketching parts of the Castle. 

The Prussian Army 

This evening Lord de Dunstanville told me that when He was a very 
young man, 19 or 20 years old, He was in Germany & passed sometime 
with the Prussian Army which was then in the field contending respecting 
the Bavarian Succession. It was commanded by Prince Henry of Prussia. 
At this time His Lordship was much acquainted with Prince Leopold 
of Brunswick. One morning while they were at breakfast in a Mill, 
the Prince was apprised of the approach of 5000 Cossacks, a force He was 
not in sufficient force to resist. Seeing His danger He urged Lord de 
Dunstanville to go off while there was time to escape, but this He wd. 
not do, & placed himself in the ranks. Many were killed ; the brains 
of a Serjeant struck Him. Fortunately two Prussian regiments of 
Cavalry came up, charged & broke the enemy & took 2000 prisoners. He 
said the Prussian army at that time was made up of people of various 
countries & had in it also many deserters. There was no sentiment of 
love of country among them ; no patriotism. — Prince Leopold of Bruns- 
wick was of a very amiable disposition. He was drowned in the Danube 
at a time of a great overflow of that river while He was endeavouring to 
assist those whose habitations were swept away by the force of the water. 
Northcote painted a picture of this subject from which an engraving was 
executed. — 

[See previous volumes for references to William Pitt.] 

* There is a monument to Lord de Dunstanville on Carn Brea (740 feet)^ which makes 
an admirable landmark. 



CHAPTER XL 

1810 

Westward Ho ! 

Confidence in Englishmen 

September 14. — Lord de Dunstanville had some intercourse with 
the Father of Buonaparte, & brought a letter from Him to General 
Paoli,* which was intrusted to His Lordship from the confidence the 
other had in him as an Englishman, as had it been discovered that He 
held correspondence with Paoli it might have been fatal to Him. This 
circumstance caused an acquamtance to commence between His Lord- 
ship & Paoli which continued till the death of the latter. Notwithstand- 
ing the wonderful success of Buonaparte from all that is known of both 
Lucien Buonaparte has an abler mind than the French Emperor. — 

A Famous Duel 

September 15. — At noon I rode with Lord de Dunstanville to 
Polnatha rock scenery upon the coast a mile from Tehidy, & there sketched 
His Lordship sitting upon the grass by me. — 

Something which caused the late Lord Camelford to be mentioned 
led to speaking of His death. Home, the Surgeonf being applied to 
by Lord Camelford to attend the Duel, was desired to go to His Lord- 
ship's House for some purpose, & was directed to bring His Lordship's 
pistols with Him. This part of His Commission Home forgot, & when 
the Combatants met Mr. Best's pistols were used by both. — Mr. Best 
has since said that when they took their ground He concluded Lord 
Camelford would not fire at Him with an intention to kill Him but would 
turn His pistol so as to shew that not to be his intention. But Lord 
Camelford took the best aim He could & the Ball He fired passed near 
the ear of Mr. Best, who, according to his own account knowing that if 
Lord Camelford should again fire at Him He would certainly kill Him 
then took aim & shot him. — 

* Pasquale de' Paoli (1726- 1807), Corsican patriot, 
t Everard Home. See Vols. II., IV. 

140 



1810] A Famous Duel 141 

Lord de Dunstanville after having mentioned these circumstances 
reprobated the practise of those who endeavour to become what are 
called " good pistol shots " & said that if it depended upon Him He 
would hang any man who being so prepared should shoot another. In 
this conversation He never alluded to the Duel He lately had with Sir 
Christopher Hawkins [Landed proprietor]. — Something having passed 
respecting politics I asked Him whether He believed that the question 
of relieving the Irish Catholics was really the cause of Mr. Pitt retiring 
from the government in i8oi. He said He had no doubt of it. 

Great Profligacy 

After dinner we had some conversation respecting the French Revo- 
lution. His Lordship [said] it was principally caused by the French 
Nobihty, who were generally speaking in a state of great profligacy. 
Religion was ridiculed by them, and morahty had very little effect. 
The word hberty was taken up by them and used witht. any discretion ; 
and the free intercourse they had with their servants who heard their 
sentiments propagated the most dangerous opinions. At table His 
Lordship sd. He had heard such immoral things said as were shocking, 
but were smiled at or unnoticed. The part the French took respecting 
America also greatly contributed to the revolution. The writings of 
Voltaire, Rousseau &c. had also made a large preparation for a change. 

Bathing in Poetic Places 

September 16. — At Eleven I went to Illogan Church one mile 
distant in the carriage with Lady de Dunstanville. The two Misses 
Bassett had gone before in order to inspect a Sunday School established 
by the Hon : Miss Bassett. — After Divine Service I went with the Ladies 
to Portreath where they have a Cottage delightfully situated under rocks 
near the sea side. Here they have everything for a breakfast or a repast, 
with books to amuse those who would read & admire the prospect. Near 
this place in Baths formed in the rocks Miss Bassett frequently comes 
to bathe, & this in such scenery as would be quite poetical. Here we 
had some refreshment then walked to the top of the Hill above the 
Cottage where we were taken up by the Carriage and proceeded home. — 

Encouragement to Cottars 

Lord de Dunstanville dined with a few principal farmers who assembled 
to adjudge prizes to such tenants of His Lordship, holders of Cottages 
with a small piece of ground attached to them, as should have shewn 
the best husbandry & Management of their respective dwellings & 
ground. This encouragement given excites emulation that has a very 
good effect. In the evening He walked to the chapel of ease which He 
has built one mile or more from Tehidy, which He makes a point to do as 
an example to the people. 



142 The Farington Diary [18 lo 

In the evening the Revd. Mr. [James Jenkin] Keigwin, curate of 
Illogan, came and at nine oClock read prayers in the Chapel in one of 
the wings of the House, in which there is a neat Altar & Altar picture 
painted by the Honble. Miss Bassett. At prayers the whole family 
of servants attended. — On acct. of Mr, Keigwin there was a light supper. 

In conversation the Buonaparte family was spoken of. Lord de 
Dunstanville said that Joseph Buonaparte is a Drunkard, Sc much 
given to women, and in this is followed by Louis Buonaparte who however 
is a man of more humane disposition than his other Brothers, & better 
intentions. 

Bubb Doddington 

September 17. — We dined at 5, & had tea at 8, after which Cards 
while I was engaged in reading the Diary of the late Bubb Doddington, 
Lord Melcombe,* an extraordinary exhibition of Political insincerity, 
selfishness, & meanness. That such a record of his own conduct should 
have been left by a man proves how much the mind may be vitiated 
by long habits of intrigue & servility for ambitious purposes. — 

September 18. — At breakfast Lord de Dunstanville said that Dr. 
Lecke had given his opinion that all medicines have some effect upon 
the constitution so as to render the taking them habitually not a matter 
of indifference. He included magnesia, reckoned the most innocent, 
in this objection ; at the same [time] He allowed that certain constitu- 
tions required such aid & relief as certain medicines would give taken 
habitually. — 

The Best Dinners 

Style of living was a subject of conversation. The late [third] Duke 
of Portland was ostentatious in this respect, and gave the best dinners 
in his time. — I mentioned that I had been told the dinners given by Mr. 
Henry Hopef of Cavendish Square, were magnificent. Lord de Dunstan- 
ville said He had dined there but did not think so ; there was expense 
enough, but a Dutch clumsiness prevailed in the manner of conducting 
the entertainment, Sir Francis Baring's dinners were in a better style. — 
His Lordship then spoke of making up parties ; & said He would not 
for social intercourse wish to see more than Seven at table. When 
company is increased to more than that number they get into Com- 
mittees, and for His own part when there are more than Seven He cares 
not if there be forty. — 

* See Vol. IV., page 246. 
t See previous volumes. 



CHAPTER XLI 

1810 

Westward Ho ! 

Mining in Cornwall 

September 19. — The mining concerns of Cornwall were spoken of. 
These are carried [on] by bodies of men united for the purpose who share 
the profit or loss. I^ord de Dunstanville remarked that they had fre- 
quently justified what He believed to be a truth, that whatever they may 
be individually considered, bodies of men are never liberal. — 

Ruythson a Fleming 

The conversation today was not interesting. After tea Lord de 
Dunstanville spoke to me of Ruythson, a Fleming, who had given lessons 
in drawing to Miss Bassett and, in the Summer Season, had twice come 
down from London to Tehidy Park. He is a well-behaved, good-natured 
liberal man. Lord de Dunstanville having paid Him money, offered 
Him more, which He would not accept. Unlike many foreigners He 
affects to be nothing more than He is in reality. He spoke of His Father 
being a miller, and that by some means He was able to go to Rome where 
He studied seven years. He is about fifty five years old, and is much 
employed in London in giving lessons in drawing, which He does in a 
singular manner. — 

A Violent Democrat 

September 20. — At breakfast Redhead Yorke,* the political news- 
paper writer was spoken of. During the French Revolution He was a 
violent Democrat, & for His proceedings was thrown into Gaol by a 
sentence of the Court of King's Bench, where, & since His confinement 
expired. His political sentiments have undergone a total change, & 
He is now an active opposer of those who maintain Revolutionary 
principles. He is believed to be sincere, & that is now the opinion of the 
Attorney General respecting him. — 

* Henry Redhead (1772-1813), in later life assumed the name of Yorke. See D.N.B. 



144 The Farington Diary [I810 

A Scottish Painter 

This being the pubHck day at Tehidy Park, we dined at Half past 
three oClock. — Mr, Sandys* told me He went to Rome in 1771 ; that He 
v/as acquainted with Jacob More,t the Landscape Painter, who having 
got a prize at Edinburgh for painting, left Scotland, and for a while 
resided in London, from whence He was carried to France by a Mr. 
Alexander, and to Italy, where He remained till His death. His repu- 
tation for Landscape painting was very high, and His employment was 
in proportion ; but He lessened the respect in which He would have 
been held by forming a Connexion with an artful woman altogether 
unworthy of His attention. — 

More passed the three first years of His residence in Italy without 
painting anything, being entirely occupied in collecting matter for study, 
and subjects for painting. — Mr. Sandys returned to England in 1774, 
benig then 30 years old and in 1777 again went to Italy with Lord de 
Dunstanville (then Sir Francis Bassett) and was absent with him abt. a 
year and a Half, Lord de Dunstanville being of age in 1778. — After tea 
the Ladies were employed in Musick & in working at a social round 
table. — 

September 21. — Mr. Sandys resides at Minver near Padstow. The 
parish of which He is Minister, is wholly or nearly so, His own pro- 
perty. He is a widower without children and has a handsome income, 
which enables him to live very comfortably & agreeably to his taste. 

M.P. for Bodmin 

Lord de Dunstanville spoke of the Borough of Bodmin of which 
He is the Recorder. There are only thirty four Electors. Through 
the interest of His Lordship Mr. Davies GiddyJ is one of the Members. 
His Father is a clergyman and resides near Marazion. Mr. Giddy married 
a Lady with whom He will eventually probably have ^100,000. He is 
devoted to the business of Parliament, and is becoming so well informed 
in all that relates to it, that it is not improbable but that He may at 

* The Rev. Sampson Sandys, rector of Landewednack. 

t See Vols. I., III. He died 1793. 

t Davies Giddy, afterwards Gilbert (1767-1839), was the son of the Rev. Edward Giddy, 
curate of St. Erth, in which parish Davies was born. He never became Speaker of the 
House of Commons, but devoted most of his time to pubHc business, and was especially 
interested in Parliamentary investigations relating to the arts and sciences. He did much 
to encourage Sir Humphry Davy in his early days, and when the great scientist, through 
ill-health, was forced to give up the Presidency of the Royal Society, Giddy was chosen to 
be his successor. In 1808 he married Mary Ann, only daughter of Thomas Gilbert, of 
Eastbourne, and by his marriage acquired very extensive property in the neighbourhood 
of that town. Of Hterary tastes, he edited " A Collection of Christmas Carols," as well 
as " Mount Calvary " and " The Creation," two mystery plays in the old Cornish lan- 
guage. But his most important work was " The Parochial History of Cornwall." He died 
at Eastbourne. 



1810] Christie the Auctioneer 145 

some period [be] the Speaker. He is a good Mathematician, & habitually 
a man who seeks to acquire knowledge. Such was Lord de Dunstanville's 
account of Him ; & from what I saw of him I was pleased with his 
unassuming manners. 

Lord de Dunstanville spoke of Christie,* the Auctioneer, & expressed 
His surprise that a man who had been educated at Eaton School, & had 
been there distinguished for His classical acquirements should have 
submitted, or rather by choice should have chosen to be in the line of 
life in which He is now established. — After tea, we talked of the late 
James Barry,t formerly Professor of Painting in the Royal Academy, 
& Lord de Dunstanville shewed me a criticism on his life & works published 
in the Edinburgh review for August 1810. It was written by Mr. Richard 
Payne Knight. It contained much just observation mixed with super- 
ficial remarks on art, and want of liberality to Artists. — 

September 22. — At 7 Left Tehidy and went to Green Bank, Fal- 
mouth. After breakfast I crossed the Ferry at Green Bank to Flushing 
the distance about the third of a mile. Half the profits of the Ferry 
belong to Lord Wodehouse.l Beautiful views from the heights above 
Flushing commanding the harbour and town of Falmouth &c. The 
situation of Flushing most favourable for consumptive invalids on account 
of the mildness of the atmosphere in this part, protected by Hills from 
the East & the North and fronting the South and the West. It has 
been called the Montpellier of England. The scenery has much of the 
Lake character. 

Female Singers 

September 23. — The morning wet. I walked to Falmouth Church, 
three quarters of a mile, the organ and singing very good, — female 
voices with those of men. Curtains drawn before the Female singers 
who are placed in the front of a gallery. I observed that the People sat 
during the singing and that many men as well as women sat during the 
prayers. Revd. Mr. Hitchins, the Curate, officiated ; which office He 
had filled 16 or 17 years. He preached extempore about 40 minutes. 
His charitable disposition, attention to the poor, and the pains he takes 
to regulate & educate children have rendered Him very popular. Having 
a small independent income, and being a Bachelor, He can afford assist- 
ance to many and does it to the extent of much of his income. The 
name of the Rector, a non-resident, is [the Rev. Mr.] Wilbraham. 

* James Christie the Younger (1773-1831): antiquary as well as auctioneer, was educated 
at Eton, and intended for the Church. 

t See previous volumes. 

X Second baron and grandfather of the first Earl of Kimberley. 

VOL. VI. 10 



146 The Farington Diary [isio 

Price of Provisions 

October 3. — Ashburton [Devonshire] as a Borough is divided 
between Lord Clinton & Sir Lawrence Palk :* no contest at Elections. — • 
Woodcocks are plentiful at Buckland in the Season. Formerly they 
were sold for fourpence a piece, now are sometimes sold for half a guinea 
a couple. 

Provisions were at this time — 

Beef pr pound 8d. 

Mutton „ 7^. 

Veal „ 7|. _ 

Large Fowl 2 shillings. 

Two small Fowles 2 shillings & 6d. 
Rabbits one shilling a couple. 

[See previous volumes for references to Richard Payne Knight, author.] 

Mr. William Woodward, Church Row, Hampstead, writes : Readers of the extracts 
from Farington's Diary which have appeared in the Morning Post must have been struck 
by the extraordinary minuteness and precision with which he set down the conversations 
he had with so many persons, rich and poor, in the course of his life. 

This is shown more particularly, perhaps, in his visit to Cornwall ; there his gossip 
with landlords and landladies of inns, coachmen, boatmen, etc., etc., is described with a 
detail which must have occupied considerable time in putting on paper, and, as a bit of a 
note-maker myself, I have wondered " how he did it ! " When I have been abroad, making 
critical notes of buildings, I have written them roughly during the day and carefully at 
night, and this, after a busy day, has been tiring. 

Now, did Farington make the entries in his diary as he gleaned the information, or 
did he make outline notes to fill in the details afterwards .? Or had he some sort of " cipher " 
as employed by Pepys " resembling that known by the name of Rich's system " ? You, 
Sir, have the original of Farington's Diary, and if you could publish — in fac-simile — say, 
a few lines of that original, you would add to the great interest already created. 

[Several facsimile specimens of the original manuscripts of Farington's Diary have been 
printed in the Morning Post, and on page 15 of the first published volume the ten lines 
reproduced give an excellent idea of the Diarist's orderly penmanship. Farington kept 
small note-books, from which we have quoted now and again, but the entries in them 
are independent of those in the Diary. There are brief memoranda on several odd scraps 
of paper, but Farington does not seem to have worked from a systematised preparation. 
All the evidence in our possession proves that he had an extraordinary memory, and that he 
made the entries in his Diary regularly and directly day after day. There are very few 
erasures throughout the closely written volumes of the Diary itself, or in the smaller books 
in which he describes his tours at home and abroad. — Ed.] 

* See Vol. V. for references to Sir Lawrence Palk. 



CHAPTER XLII 

1810 

Westward Ho ! 

A New Town 

October 4. — At noon I proceeded to Chndleigh. About half way 
there is a fine view looking towards Bovey Tracey. I found Chudleigh 
for the most part a newly built town the old town having been destroyed 
by fire. It is situated on the slope of a hill, very pleasantly ; distant 
hills & Hayter rocks are seen, and Telegraphs on the Hills. I walked 
to Ugbrooke Park, Lord Clifford's mansion. The House is in a 
low situation, it is an old building repaired. The woods & plantations 
are extensive and over them Halldown, a Hill, is seen. — Walking back a 
view of Chudleigh, and Sir L. Palk's tower 5 miles off. The whole may 
be compared as scenery with Charmouth in Dorsetshire. Chudleigh is 
esteemed a fine situation for Invalids. — 

Volunteer Cavalry 

October 8. — Mr. Yard [the apothecary at Chudleigh] sd. He had 
been out today with Lord Clifford's Volunteer Cavalry, which His Lord- 
ship punctually attends on such occasions. Lord C* married one 
of the daugrs. of the late Lord Arundel, the other daugr.f married the 
present Lord Arundel, nephew of the late Lord who had no Son. She 
died after having 2 or 3 children, & His Lordship has since mortified 
His connexions much by marrying the daughter of a Protestant clergyman. 

October 10. — -Mr. Yard called in the evening and spoke of reports 
respecting Lord Courtenay which are daily becoming more particular. 
Many of the neighbouring gentlemen refuse to hold intercourse with him ; 

* Charles, sixth Baron Clifford of Chudleigh, F.S.A. (1759-183 1), married in 1786 
Eleanor Mary, younger daughter of Henry, eighth Lord Arundell of Wardour. See Vol. V., 
page 259. 

t Mary Christiana, the elder daughter, married in 1785 James Everard, ninth Baron 
Arundell, who was born in 1763 and died on July 14th, 1817. 

VOL. VL 147 10* 



14)8 The Farington Diary [I810 

but several respectable families still continue to visit Him. Powderham 
Castle, where He resides, is abt. seven miles from Chudleigh. He proposed 
to build a House at Torquay & to reside there occasionally, & the walls 
of the House were raised and covered in but the people of the place reviled 
& insulted His servants in terms so opprobrious & this was done with 
such perseverance that the scheme of finishing the House was given up, 
& it remains a monument of the public opinion against Him. 

Affectation of Fine Dress 

We talked of the present state of Chudleigh which Mr. Yard described 
to be very different from what it was formerly. He said He remembered 
when people of different degrees in Society had much social intercourse, 
but now the lower orders affecting to dress and appear like those of superior 
rank to themselves causes a jealousy in the latter who keep the former 
at a distance by a reserve in manner. He said the affectation of being 
fine in their dress had now got among the inhabitants of Cottages ; & 
preventing all oeconomy, made them a burden upon the parish if even 
an illness for a few days interrupted their usual receipts for labour. 

Matters of Health 

October 13. — I dined & passed the evening at my Inn as usual. 
Mr. Yard called. We talked of the Climate of Chudleigh. He said 
He knew of no disorder which could be said to prevail here more than 
in the ordinary way in situations the most healthy. I mentioned having 
been told that fogs often hang in the Valley below the town along the 
line of the river. He said it was sometimes so, but that these fogs are not 
unwholesome ; they do not arise from stagnant water or from a marshy 
country, the stream of the river being perpetual ; but are simply evapo- 
rating, having nothing dangerous in its quality. 

The Ague is a disorder so little known here that He has not had a 
patient affected with that complaint in a great number of years. He 
said seven or eight years ago in the Spring and early part of the Summer 
an epidemic disorder carried off many persons in this country ; It was 
after a severe winter. The disease was in the Chest, with spitting of 
blood, and was of such a nature that though inflammatory it was unsafe 
to bleed. The patients who died generally went off within three days. 
He then remarked that from all His experience He could say, " That 
severe winters are much more unfavourable to the human constitution 
than what are called soft and foggy winters. That what is called fine, 
frosty, bracing weather, puts the constitution too much upon the stretch 
so that when milder weather comes the body relaxes to a degree that 
brings on diseases of debility, and affecting numbers spreads to an extent 
to be called epidemick." 



1810] 



Great News 149 



October 14. — This morning the waiter informed me that great news 
arrived last night from Plymouth and that Mr. Rose, the Landlord, had 
taken a copy of the general account. Soon after Mr. Rose brought me 
the paper which contained as follows, viz : " His Majesty's Ship Gleaner, 
landed at Portreath from Lisbon, Captn. Burgh,* Aid de Camp to Lord 
Wellington. Lord De Dunstanville sent His Chariot in which Captn. 
Burgh reached Truro about Eleven oClock. On the 27th. Sept. there 
was a General Battle. Massena, Junot,t & the whole of the French 
were engaged. The Allied British & Portuguese fought nobly. The 
French lost 2000 killed & wounded and 8,000 prisoners, with one French 
General. The English 500 killed, with equal number of Portuguese. 
Major Smith of the 45th. was killed. The Battle was fought on the 
Mondego, about 130 miles North of Lisbon. Another Battle is expected." 



John Varley 

October 15. — In the evening Mr. Yard called upon me. He dined 
at Lord Clifford's yesterday, where He met Varley,t a young Artist, 
who paints in water colours. Varley appeared to him to have read a 
good deal, and contested the superiority of painting over poetry with 
Mr. Reeves, a Roman Catholic priest who resides with Lord Clifford, 

* Afterwards Sir Ulysses Bagenal Burgh and second Lord Downes. 

t See Vols. II., V., for Marshal Massena, and Vol. V. for Marshal Junot. 

X John Varley (1778- 1842), who became one of the most brilliant of the early English 
water-colour painters, was an extraordinary individual. Of great physical strength in his 
youth, he divided his time between sketching and boxing. After a period of poverty, 
success came to him both as teacher and painter, he earning as much as ^^3,000 a year in 
his heyday. Genial and entertaining in conversation, his house was the haunt of men emi- 
nent in art, literature and science. Varley was popular with his numerous students, 
in spite of his rigid discipline. If they were over-noisy he (like the old woman who lived 
in a shoe) thrashed them all round without discrimination. He used to box with them, 
and when tired of that game they would toss Mrs. Varley " from one to the other across 
the table." The study and practice of astrology also obsessed him, and he, in common 
with his friend William Blake, saw visions : for him Blake made the series of visionary 
heads, including " The Ghost of a Flea." Though very prosperous, his foolish generosity 
and carelessness kept him almost constantly in difHculties. He did not feel at ease unless 
he was " arrested for debt at least once or twice a month," and to John Linnell he said, 
" All these troubles are necessary to me ; if it were not for my troubles I should burst 
with joy." 

Variey's ruin was completed by his absolute failure to perfect an eight-wheeled carriage. 
On this invention he spent much time and money, of which he borrowed ,^1,000 from 
a moneylender. A writ was issued, but the moneylender's clerk saved the artist by sheltering 
him in his lodgings in Gray's Inn Lane, where he was found by Voklns, the dealer, who 
took him to his own home. Soon thereafter Varley fell seriously ill, and died on November, 
17th, 1842. He wrote several books on drawing, design, and painting. Of Varley Ruskin 
said that except Turner he was the only artist who knew how to draw a mountain. See 
entry for November 13th. 



150 The Farington Diary [isio 

& is esteemed a man of much information. — Mr. Yard saw several draw- 
ings made by Varley, & was charmed with the brilliancy of His lights. 
Varley was on a visit to Mr. Batt, agent to Lord Clifford. — Mr. Batt 
paints in Oil and practises the art as His principal amusement. He was 
an attorney in Chudleigh before He accepted His present situation. 




Duke of Wellington, Mounted on Charger " Copenhagen," in 

Costume worn at Waterloo. 

By Sir Thomas Laivrence. 



[To taci p. 150. 



CHAPTER XLIII 

1810 

Westward Ho ! 

Victory on the Mondego River 

October 17. — The Newspapers from London explained the acct. 
from Lord Wellington, given in a Gazette extraordinary. It stated that 
the whole of the British Army was posted on top of the Sierra de Busaco, 
a high ridge of Hills [which] extends from the river Mondego in a nor- 
therly direction abt. 8 miles. Here the French, (the whole army being 
collected) made attacks in three different directions, and were repulsed 
at all points. At one point. Lord Wellington states, with immense 
loss. French Generals Merle, & Maucun were wounded. General 
Simon was taken prisoner, together with 3 Colonels, 33 officers, & 250 
men ; 2000 French were killed on the field of battle, & the loss in wounded 
was immense. 

Of the British. — Killed : 

45th. regt. — Major Smith, Captn. Urquhart, Lieut : Ouseley. 
74th. „ Ensign Williams. 
88th. ,, Lieut : H. Johnson. 

Major Silver. 

5 Serjeants — 97 rank & file. 

Wounded : 

3 Lieut : Colonels, 2 Majors, 10 Captains, 16 Lieutents. 
I Ensign — 2 Serjeants, 3 Drummers. 

434 rank and file. 

Missing : 

I Captain — i Serjeant — 29 rank & file. 

Portuguese — Killed. 

4 Captains — 2 Subalterns — i Serjeant, i Drummer. 
82 rank & file. 

Wounded. 

I Colonel, — I Major — 5 Captains — 18 Subalterns. 
9 Sergeants — 478 rank & file. 

151 



152 The Farington Diary [isio 

Prisoners ^ Missing. 
2 Serjeants — 18 rank and file. 

Lord Wellington writing of the Portuguese troops adds, " They have 
proved that they are worthy of contending in the same ranks with British 
troops in this interesting cause, which they afford the best hopes of saving." 
— The opinion here given by Lord Wellington is of high importance ; 
as it declares what the Portuguese might do if properly organised. — 

October 18. — Having stopped under a Shed, during a shower, a 
Carpenter employed in it told me that in this part of Devonshire all the 
Heavy and continued rains fall while the wind is in the East or South 
East, and that when the wind is in the West or South West, nothing 
more than a Shower occasionally is to be apprehended ; on the contrary 
that at Plymouth most rain falls when the wind is in the South West. — 

Prejudice Against Vaccination 

I dined at 5. Mr. Yard came & sat with me till past 9. He told 
me the people in this country have not got the better of their prejudice 
against being vaccinated for the Small Pox. He said He had, in the 
strongest case He could make, proved its efficacy ; yet He was of opinion 
that by innoculation in the ordinary manner an equally good effect 
might be produced were proper means used. He observed that the Small 
Pox regularly appears once in abt. 5 years at Chudleigh and in the 
neighboroud ; & that when it does appear innoculation in the ordinary 
manner is resorted to. The last time it appeared here he innoculated 
upwards of 400 & not one of them died. — 

[Died, at St. Germains, in France, Noverre, formerly the celebrated 
Ballet Master at the Opera House in London. Aged 81. — From small 
note-book.] 

Charges at Gliudleigh 

October 19. — ^As I had prepared to leave Chudleigh this day the Bills 
I had successively shewed me that the charges made were — 

Breakfast (mint tea) no Sugar or butter, & my own 

Biscuits o I 

Dinner, a single article, a chicken, or Rabbit, or bit of 

mutton, — no vegetables or butter. 030 

Tea in the afternoon — no Butter or bread. 016 

Fire, per day. 016 

Bed. o I 6 

Rushlight. 002 



^o 8 8 



Sherry pr, bottle 6s. Port do 5s. 6d. A Horse for morning ride 3s. 6d. 
If meat at Breakfast is. 6d. 



1810] 



A National Port 158 



At 2 oClock I left Chudleigh parting with the family in very good 
humour with each other. Rose, the landlord, was brought up to the Sea 
& before He married twenty years ago, commanded a trading vessel. — 
He told me that while He was in that situation, & from his youth, He never 
drank anything but water ; & that now He rarely drinks a little wine 
negus as He sometimes [finds] the water too cold for His stomach. He 
smokes every day ; & with His pipe has a little lemonade if anything. 
He spoke of Mr. Tucker's (the Prince of Wales's Surveyor for Cornwall) 
scheme for making a great national port at the Island of Scilly, & said 
that from His experience He could say it was a very ill-judged plan & if 
executed would never answer, and assigned many reasons against it.* 



Longevity 

In the Coach a decent woman dressed in black told me she was re- 
turning from South Bovey, a village 3 miles from Chudleigh, where she 
[had] been to attend the funeral of Her mother who was interred yester- 
day. At the same time two other women were interred and then added 
the following particulars — 

years. 
Mary Stonelake, Her mother was aged 94 

Stonelake, Her mother's cousin aged 96 

Susannah Doling. 73 

Ages together made 263 



She was not quite certain as to the ages of Her Mother's Cousin & of 
Susannah DoHng but knew that the former was older than Her mother 
& that the 3 ages amounted to 263 years. — ^A large concourse of people 
attended this remarkable occasion, such as has seldom happened. — 



Sir Alexander Hamilton 

The road from Chudleigh to Exeter is very hilly & tedious for 
travellers. From one of the heights I had a view of the river Exe to 
Exmouth ; and on the east side of the river saw Topsham & near it 
the Retreat a House which was the property & residence of the late Sir 
Alexander! & Lady Hamilton, He who was Ship's Husband of the 

• This projected scheme was never carried out. 

t Sir Alexander Hamilton was born on the Island of Arran. He was High Sheriff 
of Devon in 1785-86. See Vol. V., page 245W. The Retreat now (March, 1926) 
belongs to Mr. Alexander Kelso Hamilton. 

Mr. Henry Harries writes : The following was Sir Alexander's service with the H.E.I. C: 
Capt. of M. of Buckingham, 400 tons (Charles Foulis, Esq., Ship's Husband), Robert 



154 The Farington Diary [I810 

Lascelles, East Indiaman & of the Henry Addington, two ships which 
my Brother Richard commanded. Having known Sir Alexander, and 
His wife, 24 years ago or more, I could not but contemplate the change 
which has taken place in this instance. After experiencing much variety 
in early life, He obtained the command of an Indiaman & afterwards 
with His wife got posession of large property, & altogether by His 
sagacity & perseverance made up a fortune said to be ^100,000. But a 
few years have removed them both from this affluent situation, & the 
Retreat is occupied only by Servants, the Heir of Sir Alexander being 
abroad, & not to come [in]to posession till [he is] 25 years old. — The 
Stage Coach stopped at the new London Inn [Exeter], which I had heard 
spoken of unfavourably, but I found it more capacious, & posessing 
better & more agreeable accommodations than any other I had been at 
in the West of England. 

Fairful, 3rd off., ist voy. to Bombay, from Downs, 20 Mar. 1769, to remain 

in India. 
Capt. of M. of Buckingham (new ship), 499 tons (Robert Stewart, S.H.), Robert 

Fairful, 2nd off., ist voy. to Bombay from Downs, 9 Apr. 1772, arrived ditto 

18 Sept. 1773. 
Capt. of M. of Buckingham (now 758 tons), Robert Fairful, ist off., to Bombay, 

from Downs, 9 April, 1776. (Lost on Coromandel Coast, 23 Mar. 1777.) 
Ship's Husband, Alexander Hamilton, Esq., of Lascelles, 758 tons, Capt. Thomas 

Wakefield, ist off. Robert Fairful, 3rd off. Richard A. Farington, ist voy. to Coast 

and China, Portsmouth, 12 Feb. 1780, Downs, 24 Oct. 1781. 
2nd voy. same S.'s H. and Capt., ist off. Richard A. Farington, to Coast and China, 

Portsmouth, 11 March, 1783, Downs, 17 July, 1784. 
3rd voy. same S.'s H., Capt. and ist off., to Bencoolen and China, Portsmouth, 10 

March, 1785, Downs, 5 Sept. 1786. 
4th voy., S.'s H. Sir Alexander Hamilton, Capt. Rich. A. Farington, Coast and 

China, Downs, 17 Jan. 1787, back 21 May, 1788. 
5th voy. same S.'s H. and Capt., to China, Plymouth, 4 April, 1789, Moorings, 

I May, 1790. 
6th voy. same S.'s H. and Capt., to China, Downs, 6 April, 1792, Moorings, 6 May, 

1793- 
(7th and 8th voys., Robert Wigram, Esq. was Ship's Husband), see on ship Henry 

Addington. 
Sir Alexander Hamilton was Ship's Husband of the Henry Addington, 1,200 tons. 
ist voy. Capt. Rich. A. Farington, 4th off. William Farington, to China, Portsmouth 

27 June, 1796, Moorings, 21 March, 1798. 
2nd voy., Capt. Thomas Wakefield (as Lascelles, i, 2 and 3 voyages), Downs, 4 Dec. 

1798. (Lost on Bembridge Ledge, Isle of Wight, 8 Dec. 1798.) 
Sir A. Hamilton had a new Henry Addington, 1,200 tons, of which he was Ship's 

Husband for 5 voyages, Jan. 1801 to June, 1809. 
Thomas Wakefield was her Capt. on the ist voy. On the 3rd voyage her 4th off. 

was Alexander Nairne, who rose to be a Capt. and a Commander. He was the 

father of Sir Alleyn Nairne^ of Dulwich, who died about Oct. or Nov. 1921. See 

Chapter LV. 



\ 



CHAPTER XLIV 

1810 

Westward Ho ! 

Cooke the Saddler 

October 20. — As I walked along Fore-street my eye was attracted 
to a paper posted which many persons were reading. It was a Bulletein 
of Political information, containing the news of the day with comments 
upon it. I was informed that it is the daily practise of a Sadler of the 
name of Cooke, to write & paste up Bulleteins of whatever may occur 
of a public nature. These are pasted against a wall which forms part 
of His House. He is a native of Ashburton ; abt. 50 years old, & by 
His singularities has made himself remarkable in Exeter & to the neigh 
boroud. — 

October 21. — Having this day seen Mr. Land, the Landlord of the 
Inn, I asked some questions respecting Him. He is a native of Devon- 
shire, and came to Exeter in a very low capacity. By His activity and 
industry He has acquired a large fortune. He formerly kept the Old 
London Inn in this town, but abt. 17 years ago built this House, having 
then two Sons, with whom He removed to it. They are dead, & He has 
now only more distant relations. He is 82 years of age, but His person 
and general appearance is that of a man of 65. He lives in the ordinary 
manner — dines at 2 oClock, & drinks wine more or less in the common 
way according to those who are with him. In the evening He drinks a 
basin of milk, and has for the last 3 years gone to bed regularly at 9 
oCIock. He rises about 7 and breakfasts upon tea &c. — At this age of 
82 He occasionally rides on a hunting party. — 

The King's Jubilee 

October 25. — The bells of the Churches were rung today in honor 
of His Majesty having compleated the 50th. year of his reign, & on this 
day He was seized with a return of insanity, caused by his affliction for 
His dying daughter, the Princess Amelia. The Shops were not shut, 
and work was carried on as usual ; but many persons, and numbers of 
boys wore laurel in their hats, and squibs & crackers were heard through- 
out the day. — The weather being fine I saw much of the town, which 
abounds with old Houses of picturesque forms and colours. 

155 



156 The Farington Diary [1810 

Oldfield Bowles 

I dined at 5 oClock, and in the newspaper read an account of the 
death of my old acquaintance, Mr. Oldfield Bowles of North Aston in 
Oxfordshire, who died at the seat of His Son in law, Mr. Stourges Bourne 
in Hampshire, on Thursday October i8th. aged 70 years nine months and 
4 days. I dined with him at His House at Bath on the 14th. of January 
last to celebrate His completion of His 70th. year. My acquaintance 
with Him commenced in the year 1770, and from that time I have known 
him much attached to the Arts, and much a [practitioner] for his amuse- 
ment. Landscape painting was his pursuit, and He was devoted to the 
works of Wilson. He was an affectionate and good humoured man of 
plain simple manners, and with His family and friends lived a life of 
strong reciprocal attachment. In the Exhibition Catalogues of the 
Incorporated Society of Artists, and in some of those of the Royal 
Academy, His name will be found as an Honorary Exhibitor. He was 
twice married ; first to a daughter of the late Sir Richard Bamfylde* 
Bart of Poltimore in Devonshire, who died in a short time afterwards 
and left no issue. He then married Mary, eldest daughter of the late 
Sir Abraham Eltonf Bart, of Bristol, and by her had One Son and Eight 
daughters. Six of whom He had the happiness to see married very ad- 
vantageously considering His numerous family and that their fortunes, 
therefore, could be but small. They were united as follows : — 

Jane, the eldest to Mr. PalmerJ of Hurst Park near Reading, a 
gentleman of large fortune, who died a few years ago. 

* See Vol. v., page 270. 
t See Vol. III. J page 241K. 

t Richard Palmer, of Sonning, Berks (1765-1806), was married in 1791 and had eight 
children. Mrs. Wade-Palmer, of Holme Park, one of the Misses Bowles (Jane, the eldest, 
perhaps), is the original of the charming " Miss Bowles," painted in 1775 by Sir Joshua 
Reynolds, and now in the Wallace Collection. 

Leslie and Taylor (" Life and Times of Sir Joshua Reynolds," ii., 134) give the following 
account of the commission for this picture : 

It was in this year (1775) that Reynolds painted the picture, now in the collection of 
the Marquess of Hertford, of a beautiful child (Miss Bowles) sitting on the ground and 
making a dog very uncomfortable by hugging its neck : a matchless work, that would 
have immortalised him had he never painted anything else. The father and mother of 
the little girl intended she should sit to Romney. Sir George Beaumont, however, from 
whom I received the jtory, advised them to employ Sir Joshua. " But his pictures fade." 
" No matter, take the chance ; even a faded picture from Reynolds will be the finest thing 
you can have. Ask him to dine with you, and let him become acquainted with her." 
The advice was taken ; the httle girl was placed beside Sir Joshua at dessert, where he 
amused her so much with stories and tricks that she thought him the most charming man 
in the world. He made her look at something distant from the table and stole her plate ; 
then he pretended to look for it, then contrived it should come back to her without her 
knowing how. The next day she was deHghted to be taken to his house, where she sat down 
with a face full of glee, the expression of which he at once caught and never lost ; and 
the affair turned out every way happily, for the picture did not fade, and has till now 
[before 1859] escaped alike the inflictions of time or of the ignorant among cleaners. 




Miss Jane Bowles. 
By Sir Joshua Reynolds, engraved hy W. Ward. 



\To jace p. 156. 



1810] Oldfield Bowles 157 

Mary, the Second, to Sir George Armytage Bart of Kirklees in 
Yorkshire. 

The Third to [\Vimam] Markham* Esq. Son to the late Archbishop 
of York. This gentleman made a large fortune in India. 

The Fourth to the Revd. Mr. BrandHng, Son of [C. J.] Brandling, 
Esq. M.P. for Newcastle. 

The Fifth to [Edward] Golding Esqr. of [ ] in Berkshire. 

This gentleman was a Lord of the Treasury in the Administra- 
tion of Mr. Addington. 

Lucy to Mr. Holbechf, eldest son of [WilHam] Holbech, Esqr. of 
[Farnborough] a gentleman of very large fortune. 

Ehzabeth to W. Stourges Bourne, Esqr. of T[estwood House] in 
Hampshire, & of Steeple Aston in Oxfordshire. He is a Member of 
Parliament & a Lord of the Treasury now in Mr. Percival's 
administration. 

Laura Bowles, the youngest is unmarried. 

Charles Bowles, the only Son, is the youngest of all the children, 
is 25 or 6 years old, & after being at the University has passed 
sometime in London in studying the law. He has much talent 
for painting, and particularly for subjects of shipping, and has 
drawn & painted in oil many pictures of much merit. [He ex- 
hibited twice at the Royal Academy, in 1821 and 1859.] 

A Life of Much Felicity 

I have seldom seen a life passed with so much feHcity as that of Mr. 
Bowles now deceased. He had generally speaking, high health, a fortune 
to live in a very handsome manner ; a chearful & easy temper ; a genteel 
& good and amiable wife, who has survived him after a Union of more than 
forty years, and nine children, together forming a family so conspicuous 

* Gainsborough painted a half-length of a " William Markham, of Becca Hall, York- 
shire." 

Sydney C. Grier, the well-known author, writes : Some particulars of the life of 
William Markham the Younger, mentioned by Farington, may be of interest. They are 
taken from my edition of " The Letters of Warren Hastings to his Wife " (Blackwoods, 
1905). His father, the Archbishop of York, was Hastings's lifelong friend and sturdy 
supporter— father and son were both Old Westminsters — and when the son came out to 
India with Edward Wheler, Hastings made him his private Secretary, and later President 
at Benares. He seems to have possessed great personal attractions, judging from the 
favourable impression he produced at the trial, but his slight knowledge of Persian left 
him largely in the hands of his native assistants, and contributed to Chait Singh's revolt. 
He accompanied Hastings in the flight to Chanar, and returned to England by the same 
ship as Mrs. Hastings. He writes in 1795 to announce his marriage with Miss Bowles, 
who — he mentions apologetically — has a fortune of only ^^ 1,500, as she is her father's fifth 
daughter, but they are very happy together at Becca, in Yorkshire. In 18 14 Baber describes 
Markham as paralysed and helpless, and in 18 15 Mrs. Markham writes to thank Mr. and 
Mrs. Hastings for their letters of condolence on his death. 

t William Holbech (1774-1856) married Lucy, sixth daughter of Mr. Bowles. She died 
in 1835. Mr. Holbech's father, William Holbech, was M.P. for Banbury. 



168 The Farington Diary [I810 

for good principles good and obliging tempers and well-bred manners, 
as to have made them remarkable, and led to their very advantageous 
marriages. — By the death of Mr. Bowles a small Society which have 
met in London at stated periods in the Spring, and early part of the 
Summer, have lost a respected member. It consisted of 

Sir George Beaumont, Bart. 
The Honble. Augustus Phipps. 
Oldfield Bowles Esq. 
Charles Bowles Esqr. 

Benjamin West Esqr. President of the Royal Academy. 
George Dance, Esqr. R.A. 
Jos : Farington „ 

Mr. Thomas Hearne, who made the drawings for the Antiquities of 
Great Britain. 

[See previous volumes for references to Charles Oldfield Bowles, and III., IV., V., to 
William Sturges-Bourne, politician.] 



CHAPTER XLV 

1810 

Westward Ho ! 

A Jubilee Column 

October 25. — [The first stone of a Jubilee Column to be erected 
by voluntary subscription in commemoration of His Majesty having 
completed the 50th. year of His reign was laid upon Moel Famma, [1,820ft.] 
the lofty Clwydian mountain on the boundaries of the Counties of Flint 
& Denbigh, abt. Six miles from Mold, & abt. as many from Ruthin. 
The stone was laid by George, Lord Kenyon,* He being graciously 
appointed by the Prince of Wales, for and in His name to lay the first 
stone. Many gentlemen of distinction were present. — From small 
note-book.] 

Jeffery the Seaman 

October 26. — The consolation I endeavoured to give to Mrs. 
Coade, mother to Jeffery, the Seaman, who was put on shore on the Island 
of Sombrero, by the Honble. Captn. Lake, has proved to have been on a 
good foundation. It is now publickly announced that He is arrived at 
Portsmouth in the Thistle Sloop. — Lieutenant Proctor was sent to Boston 
in America by Sir John Warren, with the necessary documents to bring 
Him to England. He found Him working at His trade as a blacksmith. 
The Thistle left Sir John Warren at Halifax three weeks since. 

Out of Humanity's Reach 

In the Sun (Newspaper) of Octr. 24th. 1810, I this day read the fol- 
lowing statement : " Jeffery, the Seaman, has left town, having made 
a very satisfactory arrangement with the family of Captain Lake. He 
says, that at first He did not believe that it was intended to leave Him on 
the Island ; He saw the ship the morning after He was put on shore 
and expected every moment that a boat would be put off to take Him on 
board. He suffered at first very much from thirst, and to allay it drank 
a considerable quantity of Salt water, which only increased it. Most 
fortunately for Him some rain fell on the third day after He was put on 

* See Vols. III., IV. 



160 The Farington Diary [isio 

shore, and the quantity that remained in the cavities of the rocks supplied 
him while He remained there ; He was under the necessity of sucking 
it out with a quill. He saw great numbers of birds of the gull kind, rather 
larger than a goose, but He could not catch any of them. He found only 
one egg, but it was in such a putrid state that He could not eat it ; the 
only food (if it may be called food) that He had was some bark, which He 
found on the shore. 

" He saw five ships pass by while He was on the Island, but at too 
great a distance for Him to be visible to the people on board, and the 
vessel* by which He was at last taken off, would probably have passed 
on in the same manner, if the Captain had not hove to from motives of 
curiosity, to examine the birds which were flying in great numbers about 
the Island." 

Cruelty of Man 

Thus has this extraordinary case which agitated the public mind in 
the highest degree been brought to a conclusion so far as to leave nothing 
now to be doubted ; but it will remain upon record, a lasting instance 
of the unfeeling cruelty of a man unworthy of the name of a British 
Commander ; of the justice and humanity of the people of this country ; 
and of the all kind providence which almost miraculously preserved the 
individual. 

A Painter's Town 

I passed this day in making sketches from nature for Lyson's Britannia, 
and for the purpose of painting. I do not remember any other English 
town [Exeter] which so much abounds with subjects of buildings that in 
form and colour are so well calculated for a painter's purpose. Every 
day groupes of Houses, with Churches & gates, strike my eye, as I am 
more and more able to discriminate in the quantity which is before me. 
In such a mass it is only by degrees that the best choice can be made, nor 
can it be done without the advantage of fine weather to give the parts 
their full effect by light and shade, which, by their opposition give that 
sparkling force & variety that an artist admires and labours to imitate. 

According to the custom in ancient walled towns, most of the streets 
of the old part of it are very narrow, which in subjects of this kind is 
frequently an advantage, as it causes the shade & the shadows to be much 
darker, and the contrast with the light much stronger & more forcible 
than where the streets are wider ; and also by the depth of tone produced 
there is a gravity in the general effect suitable to the sentiment excited 
by ancient and dilapidated buildings. — My intercourse with Society is 
at present suspended, and my mind occupied with study of my Art in 
a situation so favorable for the purpose ; and I am the more desirous 
to obtain what improvement I can not being so unreasonable as to expect 
that the power of doing it will be long continued to me. 

• The American schooner Adams, which took him to America. 



1810] 



The Public Anxious 161 



But I observe that the public are in anxious expectation of news from 
Portugal and that this is the subject most thought of beyond each man's 
private affairs. — This day I reed, a letter from Lawrence in which He 
writes, " We have great hopes of further success from Lord Wellington, 
Massena is in a desperate state. The dead of His army were found 
without those provisions which they always carry with them. To prevent 
this from being detected, it is thought, was one cause of Massena's Flag 
of Truce, asking leave to bury His dead." — I dined at | past 5 oClock, 
and remained at my Inn. — 

Converts to Methodism 

October 28. — At ^ past 10, 1 went to St. Sidwell's church, the nearest 
to my Inn, the weather being very wet. Mr. Newcome, the Curate is 
towards 80 years of age, & read in so low a tone I could with difficulty 
hear him. The first lesson was read by the Clerk ; in order to relieve the 
Minister ; a custom which I was informed by Dr. Fisher is not uncommon 
in this country. The congregation was very thin ; perhaps in some degree 
owing to the weather being wet ; the organist witht. giving notice did 
not attend, and there was no singing. The Clerk complained of him, 
saying He has a stipend of ,^20 a year. He told me Mr. Newcome has 
no salary, neither has the Clerk, but they have surplice fees. When I 
considered the unimpressive manner in which divine service is performed 
here and in other places where I have attended, I cannot be surprised at 
the number of converts to Methodism which are made by men who are 
continually urging their opinions with all the zeal and energy possible. 
In this Church I observed many women & men sitting during the prayers, 
with as much cold indifference as their posture could indicate. I had 
noticed it in some other places in the country with surprise, and concern 
having trusted that though it prevailed almost to be a custom with many 
in London it had not extended to the provinces. 



VOL. VI. II 



CHAPTER XLVI 

1810 
Westward Ho ! 

A Melancholy Curate 

October 28. — At 3 oClock I went to Cathedral Service at which 
the Bishop (the Honble. Dr. Pelham) attended. The Area of the Choir 
was crowded with decent people of the lower order. A Sermon was 
preached by Mr. Carn, a Minister of one of the Parish Churches, a young 
man of a melancholy aspect. His discourse lasted 45 minutes & was 
delivered in a tone too low for me to hear distinctly a single sentence. 
After the Sermon the Bishop gave the blessing. — With respect to the 
Sermon although I could not hear its purport, I manifestly saw that it 
was injudiciously extended to too great a length. The person who was 
in the stall on my right hand noticed it to me ; & He, who was on my left 
sufficiently signified it. — 

October 30. — After breakfast I proceeded on my studies among the 
old buildings of this city. I was informed that when the inhabitants were 
numbered, which took place a few years ago, it appeared that within the 
walls, the number amounted to about 18,000 and that with those in the 
suburbs the return was abt. 20,000. — 

Notable Churchmen 

At 4 oClock I went to Dr. Fisher's* to dinner. The company was 
composed of persons connected with the Cathedral, assembled agreeably 
to an invitation given at certain periods. — Mr. Bartf addressed me as 
being an acquaintance of the late Revd. J. Langley, & from him had heard 

* Canon of Exeter Cathedral. See Vol. V., page 246. 

t John Newnham, A.R.I.B.A., writes : Farington blunders over the name of the Pre- 
centor of Exeter Cathedral. He gives it as Bart ; it should have been Bartlam. 

The Rev. Thomas Bartlam, M.A., was appointed Prebendary (or Canon) and Precentor 
in 1809 ; he was " called into residence " at the same time. He retained the Prebend 
(or Canonry), Precentorship, and Residentiaryship until his death. He died 30th March, 
and was buried in Exeter Cathedral 6th April, 1832, aged sixty-five. 

162 



1810] 



Notable Churchmen 



much of me while I was employed on the work of the river Thames. He 
told me Mr. Langley died of a cancer in the stomach. Mr. B. said that 
during ii or 12 years He himself, was Curate at Marlow, in Buckingham- 
shire, & there passed, perhaps, the happiest hours of his life. He has 
lately obtained the situation of Precentor & a Canonry of Exeter Cathedral. 
— Mr. Newcome [a Canon of Exeter Cathedral] is the Clergyman, who 
officiated at St. Sidwells Church on Sunday last. I was before struck 
with the resemblance He bears to the late Paul Sandby R.A. & today 
felt the resemblance in a stronger degree, both in person, manner & tem- 
perament. He told us He was now in [his] 76th. year, and that He had 
been connected with the Cathedral of Exeter [for] 65 years. He sd. 
He had lived to see a succession of nine Bishops of Exeter, and that Dr. 
Fisher, the present Bishop of Salisbury, was the only one of them that 
was translated ; the others died in this their situation. The first Bishop 
of this number was Dr. Weston, grandfather of the Revd. Stephen 
Weston [F.S.A.], at present well-known in London. This Bishop was 
succeeded by the Revd. Dr. Lavington. His wife had a nephew who 
from [a] situation in or near London was brought to Exeter, & here made 
by this Bishop, Chancellor of the Diocese [1794] a situation worth abt. 
£500 a year, and a Canon of the Cathedral abt. ^£500 a year. His name 
was [James] Carrington. I attended to these particulars having known 
some of this family. 

Conquest of Havana 

The Honble. & Revd. Dr. Keppel, Brother to Lord Albemarle, was the 
next in succession. When the Earl of Albemarle, and His Brother, 
Admiral Keppel, were sent to attack Havannah, at the commencement 
of the present reign, this family being then poor, but having always been 
under the particular protection of the Crown, Lord Albemarle, solicited 
the King, that in case of His death whilst upon this service. His Majesty 
wd. graciously consider His Brother, the Revd. Dr. Keppel, who, when 
there was an opportunity was made Bishop of Exeter. The conquest of 
the Havannah made the fortunes of Lord Albemarle & of His Brother 
Admiral, afterwards Lord Keppel. Lord Albemarle now lent the Bishop 
5(^5000, but in such a way was it considered between them as to remain a 
matter neglected. Lord Albemarle died, and the guardians of His 
successor, a minor, found amongst His Lordship's papers a Bond which 
the Bishop had given for this money, and, agreeably to the trust reposed 
in them, applied to Him for the payment. This unexpected claim coming 
upon Him who never was in affluent circumstances, & had many children 
to provide for, overset His mind so far as to prey upon His spirits and 
hasten his death. 

A Base Proposal 

His declining state of health was visible, and it happened that a lease 
held under the Bishop of Exeter was at that time depending upon a 
very slender tenure. The parties who had an interest in it supposing 

VOL. VI. H* 



164 The Farington Diary [I810 

the Bishop in his infirm state, would grasp at anything offered Him 
3^1500 for a renewal of the lease which they knew to be worth thousands. 
The Bishop felt the baseness of the proposal and refused it, declaring 
that His Successor should have that which they withheld from him, & 
that the fair rights of the Church shd. not suffer through him. Soon 
after the Bishop died, and when it became necessary to renew this 
lease Dr. Ross, His Successor, reed, altogether about ;£8ooo for the 
renewal. — 

Mr. Newcome spoke like a philosopher. He said His habits of life 
were settled ; and that at His age, He wd. not accept of any preferment 
that could be offered which should require Him to remove from his present 
situation. " What shd. I get by it," said He, " I should subject myself 
to difficulties & a trial in effecting the change & shd. die before I could 
reap any advantage." 

Mr. [Edmund] Granger, the wine merchant of Exeter was spoken of, 
and it was said that His business in this line is extended beyond that 
of any other person in the West of England ; and that His stock of bottled 
port wine is 100,000 dozen. 

[In this day's Gazette, Sir Richard Philips, Bookseller, & late Sheriff 
of London, was announced a Bankrupt.] 



William Locke, of Norbury Park 

November 1. — This day I reed, a letter from Mr. S. Lysons in which 
He mentioned the death of William Lock Esqr. Senr. of Norbury Park,* 
near Leatherhead, Surrey ; a gentleman, who for nearly half a century 
has been ranked in the first class of Amateurs of the fine arts, posessing 
superior taste & information. When very young He went to Italy, & 
at Venice became acquainted with Richard Wilson, the eminent English 
Landscape painter, and they travelled together to Rome. Mr. Lock 
posessed a considerable fortune, and after His return to England resided 
many years in Portman Square, where He had a valuable collection of 
pictures & statues. He married a daughter of the late Sir Luke Schaub, 
whose Collection of pictures was much reported. By this Lady Mr. Lock 
had several Children ; and His children growing up abt. Him He was in- 
duced to dispose of His Collection of works of art, and to give up His 
House in Portman Square. From this period He resided principally 
at Norbury Park, and lived to be near 80 years of age. Two or three 
years ago He had a fever which affected Him much, & His faculties 
from that time were in many respects weakened. Mr. Lysons states 
" that He lately struck His head, accidentally, with great violence against 
a marble chimney piece, which had occasioned vomiting &c. & in Plis 
feeble state there was but small chance of his getting over it." — No 
gentleman of his time had acquired a more marked distinction than Mr. 
Lock. 

* William Locke. See previous volumes. 



1810] An Unrivalled Beauty 165 

His classical attainments, His taste for the Arts, the refinement of 
His manners, and the propriety of His conduct, obtained for Him general 
respect. The acquaintance which subsisted between Him & Richd. 
Wilson gave me an early knowledge of him, but my intercourse with him 
had been but seldom. I have of late years met him occasionally at Mr. 
Angerstein's where He was upon a domestick footing the effect of a very 
long intimacy. The only son of Mr. Angerstein married the seed, daugr. 
of Mr. Lock. — Mr. William Lock, eldest son of Mr. Lock, married Miss 
Jennings,* a young Lady whose mother was daughter of the late Mr. 
Nowel of Read in Lancashire, an ancient family. The beauty of Miss 
Jennings was so remarkable as to cause Her to be the object of general 
attention during two or three Seasons successively in London witht. a 
rival to be put in competition with Her. 

* See Vols. I., II. 



CHAPTER XL VI I 

1810 

Westward Ho ! 

An Exeter Banker 

November 2. — I walked to the lower part of the town and made a 
sketch of some picturesque old buildings. — On my way I was accosted 
by a young gentleman, who had on a former day spoken to me, when He 
being in military uniform I supposed him to be an officer. But I was 
now informed that He was Mr. Russell, a member of a Volunteer Corps. 
His father is a Banker at Exeter, and carries on the great business of the 
waggons which carry goods to & from London, from Exeter & other parts 
in the West of England. He told me He had been informed of my name 
by Dr. Fisher, & He now invited me to His house wishing to shew me some 
drawings in His posession, and I accepted His invitation for this evening. 

Crude Drawings 

At 7 oClock I went to Mr. Russell's in South street, and passed some 
time with him in looking at some large drawings of the principal ancient 
buildings in Rome, which were made for Him in 1806 by a Swiss artist, 
Kaiserman, who had been pupil to Du Croq,* in whose manner they were 
executed. Mr. Russell said the process was this : After a sketch had been 
made from the object, it was put into the hands of an artist, accustomed 
to draw Architecture, and figures & by Him a careful outline of all the 
parts was completed, and preserved in that state. Whenever Kaiserman 
had a commission to make a drawing of this subject, an outline was 
traced upon very thin paper from that thus prepared, and this tracing 
being pasted upon thicker paper, was then tinted ; thus much trouble 
& expense was saved, as inferior artists could be employed to trace the 
outlines. — Of these drawings I could with truth have said that they were 

• Probably Pierre Ducros, a Swiss artist, who for a considerable time worked in Rome 
and its neighbourhood. He died in 1806. 

166 



1810] Coleridge Destitute 167 

in a very high degree crude & raw, and had little to recommend them 
but their exhibiting the form and something, perhaps, which coarsely- 
imitated the kind of colouring of the respective buildings.* 

Mr. Russell told me He went to Spain, and from thence to Gibralter 
& Malta, & Naples, where He was at the end of the year 1805. From 
Naples He proceeded to Rome, where He arrived [at] the beginning of 
the year (January), 1806, & remained there till May. Whilst He was 
at Rome Coleridge arrived there from Malta, in a destitute condition. 
His money being expended. Mr. Russell became His friend & protector, 
& relieved [him] from His difficulties, which had reduced His mind to 
such a state, as to cause Him to pass much of his time in bed in a kind of 
despairing state. From Rome Mr. Russell accompanied Him to Leghorn, 
and from thence to England, which was a great sacrifice on the part of 
Mr. Russell, who otherwise wd. have passed through Swisserland with 
two gentlemen of that country with whom he was acquainted. When 
tea was brought we were joined by Mr. Russell, Senr, and by Mrs. Russell, 
wife to Mr. Russell, Junr, and Her mother, & passed two hours very 
agreeably in looking at drawings and in conversation. — 



Downman, A.R.A., Duped 

Mr. Russell told me that Downman,t Associate of the Academy, 
married the daugr. of the late Mr. Jackson, the musical composer, who, 
said He, " was the ugliest & most forbidding woman in the world."! 
When they were married it was foreseen that she could not live more 
than a year, and as she had some fortune, it was considered that Down- 
man looked to it ; but in this she duped Him. Writings were drawn 
previous to their marriage of which she had the direction. When they 
met to sign them, & the Solicitor was preparing to read she stopped Him, 
saying, " there is no occasion for that ceremony Mr. Downman knows 

* Most of the drawings of Rome that belonged to Mr. Russell are the property of 
Miss Pycroft, of 4, Ladbroke Court. 

t John Downman, A.R.A. See Chapter LIV. and Vols. I., IV. 

t Archdeacon Hayman, of Melbourne, Australia, writes : I am on a visit to the Old 
Country and read with great interest the paragraph in the Farington Diary, 18 10, which 
makes reference to the daughter of the musical composer, Jackson, and her marriage to 
Mr. Downman, A.R.A. Miss Jackson is described as " the ugliest and most forbidding 
woman in the world." It so happens that this lady was my first cousin once removed, 
her mother having been my great-aunt. It is somewhat painful to have one's relative 
described in this uncompromising way, especially when you have no opportunity of asking 
an explanation from the gentleman who makes the charge. But it is gratifying to gather 
from the paragraph that if my cousin was plain she was at least no fool, as the gentleman 
who apparently married her for her money found to his cost. 

I may add as somewhat of a coincidence that when in Exeter I went to the Church 
of St. Stephen-le-Bow to see Jackson's burial place — for he lies beneath the nave of this 
church — but the building was locked. 



168 The Faring ton Diary [1810 

my mind." Accordingly she & Downman signed the writings, She 
died within the time expected, & it was then found she had not left Him 
a shilling. — 

Apothecary and Artist 

Mr. Russell spoke of Mr. [John W.] Abbot, a resident in this town, who 
has frequently obtained celebrity as an exhibitor at the Royal Academy 
in the Honorary department, it not being His profession. He is an 
apothecary, and now practises as such, but will be Heir to a very good 
fortune at the death of a gentleman His near relation. Landscape 
painting is the branch He has studied. — 

A good drawing master is now wanted at Exeter. Such a one would 
find much employment in the town and in the neighboroud. At 
present an Artist of the name of [T. H.] Williams resides here for that 
purpose but is not considered to be very well qualified. — 

Mrs. Russell told me she was at a boarding-school in Russell square, 
London, where, for a time Taylor,* an old man who was pupil to 
Hayman, [taught] but He was dismissed for [talking] too much to His 
pupils while giving them lessons. 

November 3. — Coleridge spoke to Mr, Russell of the Climate of 
Malta, which He said kills young people who go there but lengthens the 
lives of old persons. — 

A Devonshire Estate 

In the Inn this morning, I met Masquerier, the Portrait Painter. 
He told me he had [just] arrived from Ireland whither He went [at] 
the beginning of last June to the Marquiss of Donegall's, where He had 
painted Eleven pictures. He had been to the Giant's Causeway & 
other places & was much gratified with His excursion. He had come 
to Exeter to meet Mr. A. Saville,t member of parliament for Oke- 
hampton, which Borough, and an estate near it. He had purchased from 
the family of Holland, the Architect! who died some time ago. This 
property, till the present Lord came into posession, I have understood 
belonged to the Courtenay family. The acct. He gave me of the scenery 
at Okehampton Castle, & at the waterfall of the Lid was, " That while 
this property belonged to Holland He cut down all the timber which gave 
richness to the scenery at Okehampton Castle, which has now a bare 
appearance. — That the fall of the Lid, abt. 8 or lo miles from Okehamp- 
ton, & half way to Tavistock, is a narrow stream which winds down a 
steep descent, looking said He, like a white ribbon, having woods rising 

* John Taylor, known as Old Taylor (1739-1838), knew Gainsborough, who also studied 
under Hayman. An original member of the Society of Artists, Taylor survived all the 
others. See Vols. 11. and IV. 

t Albany Savile, built a mansion in the Grecian style near Okehampton, to which he 
gave the name of Oaklands. 

X Henry Holland. See Vols. I., II., III. 



1810] 



General Dumouriez 169 



from it on both sides ; but though a pretty scene, said He, for Ladies 
to visit, in fine weather, there is nothing abt. it that can justly be called 
very interesting ; nothing magnificent, no rocks, no grandeur, a scene 
not to be spoken of by those who have been in Wales." — 

We talked of our being in Paris together, where He, being the Son 
of a Frenchman, & speaking the language perfectly, had many advan- 
tages over other artists who went from England at that period to see the 
works of Art (1802). — He spoke of His success in painting, and said He 
might now say He was independent. He told me He had lately painted 
a portrait of General Dumourier*' ; who, He said. Has a pension from 
Government of ^^500 a year, & resides in Lisle St. Leicester fields. He 
sd. that Dumourier had declared that France had long had an eye to 
Spain & Portugal, & that He, himself, had formerly been sent to those 
countries to make a report respecting them, in a military point of view. 
From His knowledge of Spain He said, it would be tight work to make 
any effectual impression upon them ; but of the Portuguese people He 
had a mean opinion. — 

Masquerier spoke of Lawrence with the highest admiration of His 
talents, but remarked that constant professional application had caused 
of late a great change in His appearance ; that from looking fresh & 
healthy He now looked pallid. — He introduced me to Mr. Saville, who very 
handsomely invited me to His House near Okehampton. — 

[The Princess Amelia, youngest daughter of their Majestys, died, 
aged 27. — From small note-book. See Chapter XLVHLl 

* Charles Francois Dumouriez (1739-1823), the French General, who at the outbreak 
of the Revolution was made Minister for Foreign Affairs, then Minister of War, and subse- 
quently was given the command of the Army of the North as Lieutenant-General. In 
1792 he was victorious at the Battle of Valmy, but was defeated at Neerwinden in the 
following year. After this disaster he became a traitor, and had to flee from France, 
coming ultimately to England in the pay of the Government to furnish plans of battle 
against his native land. 

In the presence of Robert Burns, someone expressed his joy at General Dumouriez's 
defection, and the poet wrote a scornful address to him, which begins : 



Then it goes on 



You're welcome to Despots, Dumouriez. 
I will fight France with you, Dumouriez 



I will take my chance with you ; 

By my soul I'll dance with you, Dumouriez. 

Then let us fight about, Dumouriez, 



Till freedom's spark is out, 

Then we'll be damn'd no doubt — Dumouriez. 



CHAPTER XLVIII 

1810 

Westward Ho ! 

The Good Old Times 

November 3. — I was out part of the morning, & availing myself of 
the advantage of being in a little shop made a sketch of a subject which 
I had noted. The good woman, a native of Exeter, sold ready made 
Cloaths, & from conversation I found she thought the present times 
not so good as they were formerly. Her mother, she said, could remember 
when Butter was sold for Threpence a pound ; and Pork Three half- 
pence a pound. I did not choose to disturb Her mind by observing 
to Her that at the period Her mother spoke of, articles such as the 
daughter now deals in were sold at less than Half their present price. 
These poor people have very little comparison in the judging of the 
present by the former. — 

The King's Affection 

November 4. — In the Newspaper I read that Parliament met on 
Thursday Novr. ist. when the Lord Chancellor & Lord Liverpool in 
the House of Lords, and Mr. Perceval in the House of Commons, stated, 
that, — " His Majesty's indisposition arose from His affection as a Father, 
that it sprung from His anxious and unremitting attention to a beloved 
daughter, under Her painful & protracted sufferings. It was consolatary 
to reflect that a disorder originating in such a cause, was of a nature 
to be easily combated and removed : he had the satisfaction also to 
state, that the symptoms were peculiarly mild, and that the Physicians 
had expressed the most confident hopes of a speedy recovery." — It 
was then moved in both Houses " That the House shd. adjourn to that 
day fortnight," which was agreed to unanimously ; Lord Holland ex- 
pressing His approbation in the House of Lords ; and Mr. Sheridan 
seconding the motion in the House of Commons. — 

The Bulletein published was " The King has passed a night with very 
little sleep, and is much the same to-day as His Majesty was yesterday. 
— H. Halford, Wm. Heberden, M. BailHe." 

170 



1810] The King and the Ring 171 

The following acct. was published in the- Stm — " On the day the 
Jeweller reed. His orders from the Princess Amelia to procure the ring 
for the King, it was 12 oClock before He left Her Royal Highness, and 
undertook to be back from London before 3 oClock the following day, 
(the Hour the King generally visited Her Royal Highness). He kept 
His promise & was back at a quarter before 3 the following day, so that 
there was plenty of time before the King went to visit the Princess. 
The form of putting the ring on His Majesty's finger, and the inscription, 
it is grievous to reflect, has had the effect, as is generally reported, of 
causing His Majesty's indisposition. On His Majesty going to the bed 
of the Princess, He put out His hand to shake Hands with Her, as was 
His daily custom, & Her Royal Highness at that time put the ring on his 
finger, witht. saying anything which agitated him very much. The 
inscription we understand was Her Royal Highnesses name, and the 
words ' Remember me,' and we have heard to those were added ' When 
I am gone,' but of this we are not certain. A lock of Her Royal Hignesses 
Hair was worked in the ring." 

In the paper I read an acct. of the death of Charles Grignion, en- 
graver, aged 94. He was the Father of the Art, an amiable man ; and 
was eminent in His profession.* — 

November 7. — I walked out for sometime in the middle of the day, 
& called on Dr. Fisher, who was out. On my return I met Sir William 
Elford who was on His way back from Shropshire, where He had been 
to see an estate belonging to His Son's wife. He told me He had sent 
a picture to the Bath Exhibition, and should send one to me in the 
Spring for the Royal Academy Exhibition. He was proceeding to Chud- 
leigh this evening. — 

The Earl of Dartmouth 

In the paper this day I read an account of the death of the Earl of 
Dartmouthf, Lord Chamberlain, a nobleman much respected. He had 
just completed His 55th. year. His Constitution had been upon the 
decline sometime, but the Bath waters had been of service to Him till 
lately, when He was while there advised to try the Sea air & removed 
to the Coast of Devonshire, to Dawlish, where He died on Thursday 
last, Novr. ist. leaving a numerous family. I had the honour of know- 
ing him for many years, and found His society always agreeable from the 

* Charles Grignion, who was born in London in 18 16 and died at Kentish Town, 
worked as an engraver for fifty years in England. In his early youth he studied under 
Le Bas in Paris. Late in life he gave up his old-fashioned style of execution for a more 
elaborate and pompous method, which deprived him of popularity, and he had to depend 
on the generosity of friendly artists and amateurs for subsistence until his death. 

t George Legge, Lord Dartmouth (1755-1810) was Chamberlain to the King and a 
Knight of the Garter, and in 1789 was appointed Lord Warden of the Stannaries. He 
was married 10 Frances, sister to the Earl of Aylesford. See Vols. IL, 111., IV., V. 



i'?^2 The Farington Diary [18IO 

frank, easy Sc companionable manner in which He conducted Himself. 
While He was at Eaton School the present Earl of Carlisle wrote the 
following lines upon him : 

" Mild as the dew that whitens yonder plain 
Legge shines serenest midst the youthful train. 
He whom the search of fame with rapture moves, 
Disdains the pedant, though the muse He loves, 
By nature formed with modesty to please, 
And join with wisdom, unaffected ease." 

The late Lord Dartmouth was a great personal favorite of the King, 
who appointed Him Lord Chamberlain, and made him a Knight of the 
Garter, from the regard He had for Him. He succeeded His Father in 
the Earldom, July i6th. 1804. 



CHAPTER XLIX 

1810 

Westward Ho ! 

Strength, Riches, Population 

November 8. — In my situation thus alone I find amusement arise 
from very [many] sources of reading, and as they shew the state of the 
times, and having little of a private nature at present, to record, I shall 
add to my itinerary matters for reflection which are of a public nature. 
Thus I have noted the progress of the King's indisposition, & shall now 
copy part of a proceeding of the Common Council of the City of London 
held on Wednesday October 31st. 1810. The purpose of it was to vote 
that a Statue of His Majesty, George 3rd. should be erected in the Council 
Chamber of the City of London, " as a grateful testimony to descend 
to the latest posterity, of the high sense the Court of Common Council 
entertain of the manifold blessings enjoyed under his paternal reign of 
Fifty years." 

The motion was adopted with only one dissentient voice, Mr. Miller 
(a Master Shoemaker). Mr. Jacks, in a speech introductory of the motion 
remarked, that, " All writers on the prosperity of nations had agreed 
that there were three Criteria of such prosperity, viz : increase of strength, 
of riches, and population ; and that the Character of a reign must be 
taken from the general benefit which has resulted to a country from the 
tenor of its acts. He held in his hand a comparative estimate of the 
strength, the riches, & the population of this country. 

The Estimate 

" He found that — 

The military strength of Great Britain in 1760 was : 

31 regiments of Horse 
97 do of foot. 

128. 
^73 



174 The Farington Diary [I810 

In 1810 there are : 

34 regiments of Horse 
124 do of foot. 



The Navy in 1760 consisted of : 



In 1 8 10 it consists of 



158 exclusive of foreign 

troops, Militia, Local 

Militia, & Volunteers. 

121 Ships of War of 50 guns 
& upwards with 70,000 
Seamen. 

278 Ships of the same force 
with 120,000 Seamen. 

Wealth and Surplus Products 

" Dr. Adam Smith, to whom all political Oeconomists of the present 
day bowed with reverence, had expressly maintained that national wealth 
did not consist in the abundance of gold and silver, which were only the 
instruments of commerce, but that it was formed of the surplus products 
of the labour of agriculture & manufactures, now of these commercial 
export formed the criterion whereby to judge. He had compared the 
two periods and found that 

Our exports in 1760 amounted in official value to. . . . ^15,781,175 

In 1809 they were ^50,242,761 

It was also officially stated in the House of Commons, on the 2nd. of 
Feby. 18 10 that the exports of 1809 exceeded the imports by nearly 
16 millions ; and when returns from the Baltic could be procured they 
wd. reach 20 millions. — 

National Development 

" The increase of national riches might also be estimated by the great 
increase of navigable canals, docks, and other public works, in the present 
reign ; also by the calculations made at former periods of the progressive 
& actual value of property in the nation compared with the present time. — 
In 1690, Gregory King, an eminent political Arith- 
metician of that day calculated the whole at. . . . 650 millions. 
In the year 1748 it was estimated that personal 

property only was worth 1 100 millions. 

In 1798 Mr. Pitt estimated the value of landed 
property only, including mines, tithes & Houses 
at upwards of 1250 milHons. 

Malthus 

" Mr. Malthus, in his celebrated Essay, laid it down as an invariable 
principle, that population & the means of subsistence were commensurate 
with each other ; if so, it was evident that population must have greatly 



1810] Prosperity that Dazzled 175 

increased in the present reign, in as much as it appears that from the 
beginning of Queen Anne's reign to 1760 only 244 inclosure bills had 
passed the Legislature, whereas from that time to the present (50 years) 
there had been 2878. 

" Another evidence arose out of this great increase of population, 
from its appearing — 

In the year 1750 there were inhabited Houses in 

England & Wales 729,048. 

But by the acct. taken in 1801 there were 1,574,902. 

" Thus, from all these circumstances, it appeared undeniable that the 
country had increased in prosperity in ratio that almost dazzled the 
mind by its magnitude ; but perhaps it will be said this has been effected 
by the energies of a great & free people, this to a great extent He wd. 
admit, but history in all ages had evinced that much also depended 
upon the personal character of the reigning Prince & He thought it wd. 
not be acting by the character of George the Third, as He wd. do by that 
of a private individual, if He were to deny him, who is at the head of the 
great political machine, a considerable portion of political wisdom and 
ability as well as of private virtues." 

Wise Government 

The statement made by Mr. Jacks in the Common Council shewing 
the advantage derived from the wisdom of the government of this country 
& from the free & happy state of the people, cannot be more strongly 
contrasted than by the following extract from the Paris papers lately 
reed, up to Octr. 30th, 18 10. They contain a furious decree of Buona- 
parte, not only ordering all the British manufactures and Colonial 
produce which may be found in France or in the Countries under his 
influence and controul to be seized and burnt but also directing the 
punishment of those who introduce them, by branding on the forehead 
with the letters V D. and by imprisonment for ten years to hard labour. 



CHAPTER L 

1810 

Westward Ho ! 

An Ancient Chimney Piece 

November 9. — This day at 12 oClockl called on the Bishop of Exeter 
who shewed me the ground attached to the Palace, & the principal rooms. 
In the dining-room, which is a large & commodious apartment, I saw a 
Chimney piece of great antiquity. It was erected in an apartment of the 
Palace by Peter Courtenay, Bishop of Exeter, who was consecrated 
Bishop of this See in the year 1477, & translated in i486, therefore this 
Chimney piece must have been erected between these periods. It has 
been removed from the apartment in which it was first placed to that in 
which it now is, but witht. doing it the least injury, & the whole of it 
which is executed in stone is in the best preservation, appearing as if 
not of a date of more than 100 years. The decorations of it are the 
Arms of England, of the See of Exeter, & of the Courtenay family. — 
Within the Palace there is nothing to engage the attention particularly 
excepting this Chimney piece. The Bishop has a great convenience 
in it in having a passage into the Cathedral witht. going into the open 
air. 

Surgeon and Apothecary 

November 10. — In my conversation today with Mr. Luscombe, He 
said, " I am a Surgeon, and acting as I do in both capacities (an Apothe- 
cary) have the feeling of a Surgeon, and am not inclined to multiply 
medicines. As a Surgeon when I have a case before me I see what 
should be done, but in other cases where I can only conclude from symp- 
toms, I proceed slowly in administering medicine, wishing to see the effect 
of one before another is given, & also the state of the constitution." — 
He spoke of Rhubarb and Magnesia as being medicines which were in 
their nature of a very safe kind & might be taken for any time witht. 
apprehension. — 

176 



1810] Death of Zoffany 177 

November 11. — [Johan Zoffany,* R.A. died at Strand on the Green, 
near Kew, aged 87. — From small note-book.] 

I heard this morning of the great floods which prevailed yesterday. 
The Mail Coach did not arrive either from London or Falmouth. The 
Mercury Coach arrived but the Horses had swam through a dangerous 
passage. The water at the lower part of the town was higher last night 
than had been remembered. 

Dr. Fisher told me that speaking to Dr. Willisf on the subject of 
insanity, the Doctor said " there was no cure for it, a person who has 
once been affected is always liable to have it return upon Him." 

Devonshire Artists 

Before tea we were joined by the Revd. Mr. Patch, a Clergyman of 
Exeter, and a great lover of the arts. He told me that in this town, 
at present, there is no artist properly qualified to give instruction in 
drawing, and that Williams, who is thus employed, is incompetent to 
it. — He said that Glover had proposed to come to Exeter for some por- 
tion of the year in order to settle His son in the practise in this town, 
but Mr. Patch did not encourage it.' — He spoke of Mr. Abbot, who. He 
said, would have been a fine artist had He been situated differently, 
but at Exeter He had been so admired and extolled that He was content 
with copying himself. He remarked that Abbot does not attend to 
vErial perspective, but finishes his middle distances equally with His 
foregrounds. — 

Downman was mentioned, & Mr. Patch corroborated what Mr. 
Russell had sd. respecting His marriage with Miss Jackson, who, however, 
He said, did leave Him ^^300, which did not recompense him for expences 
He had been at & for what He had given up to marry Her. It was 
allowed that at one period He had saved a handsome sum, but He lost 
the whole of it in an East India speculation in which a Son He had was 
in some way interested. — After this it was known that He had suffered 
inconvenience. — 

A Thrifty and Vain Painter 

Mr. Patch said that [Francis] Towne saved at Exeter ^10,000 but 
His oeconomy was extreme, adding, " He lived for a shilling a day." 

* John Zoffany or Zauffely (1733-1810) was a native of Ratisbon and came to England 
in 1758, where he lived for a time in a garret in Drury Lane in a starving condition. His 
later history is well known. Excellent works by him may be seen at the Diploma Gallery, 
Burlington House, at the Garrick Club, the Royal College of Surgeons, and the National 
Gallery. But his finest painting is the group of the " Archduke Leopold of Tuscany, 
his Wife, and Eight Children," which is, or was, in the Royal Gallery, Vienna. As Faring- 
ton proved (see Vol. L, page 204, of the Diary), this masterpiece was painted in Florence, 
not Vienna, as Zoffany' s latest biographers suggest. 

t John Willis, celebrated alienist, who attended George \\\. in 1788 and again in 181 1. 
VOL. VI. 12 



178 The Farington Diary [I810 

Towne went to Italy with W. Smith of St. George's row, Oxford Turnpike,* 
& afterwards imitated his manner of drawing. — " Towne," sd. He 
" is conceited of his abihty in the Art. I have a drawing by him which I 
wished him to change, & told him it had been remarked by others that it 
wd. be for his credit to do so." Towne replied, " I am the best judge 
of that," and would not change it. 

Mr. Patch wished me to call upon a miniature painter of the name of 
Leakey, who He said had practised in Exeter some years, and also paints 
in Oil small pictures of familiar subjects (figures). He has the merit 
of supporting a large family of relations, who are all very poor people 
of this place. He makes abt. ^800 a year.t — 

Wine and Tea 

We talked of the use of wine. It was agreed that unless in cases of 
indisposition half a pint at least may be drunk with benefit, but that a 
pint is too much. All professed themselves to be lovers of tea, & it 
seemed to be the opinion that everything is good if taken in moderation. 
My Father, said Mr. Patch, an Old man, wished the words wholesome & 
unwholesome to be struck out of our language. A medical man of note 
was quoted who recommended tea as being the best diluter and assistant 
in digestion ; " so I find it " sd. Dr. Fisher. — 

Gossip 

We had some conversation respecting the present bench of Bishops, 
and the opinion was, that there is very little of superior ability amongst 
them. Dr. Watson, Bishop of Llandaff, was considered by far the first 
in talents & acquirements. It was said that Dr. Porteous, the late Bishop 
of London, was much overrated as to his abilities. 

Mr. Carn, the young Clergyman who preached at the Cathedral on 
Sunday 28th. [October] last which I could not hear, was mentioned. 
His Sermon was so Calvanistical that the Bishop was offended, & sent 
for him, & lectured him vipon it. Since that another Clergyman preached 
in one of the churches a Sermon still more Calvanistical. Such is the 
spirit of opposition when an opinion has been taken up. — 

[See Vols. I., II., for previous references to Francis Towne.] 

* Mr. J. Landfear Lucas writes : An item of London topography occurs in Farington's 
Diary of November nth, 1810, where he mentioned an artist who lived at St. George's 
Row, Oxford Turnpike. Can you kindly tell us the exact location of this address ? 

[St. George's Row was situated between Stanhope Place and Albion Street, and is 
now known as Hyde Park Place. — Ed.] 

t James Leakey. See Vol. V., page 9«. 



CHAPTER LI 

1810 

Westward Ho ! 

The Climate of Devonshire 

November 12. — Exeter was spoken of yesterday as being a place in 
which there is much gossiping, & that, perhaps, more among the men 
than even the women. There are many men who have settled here 
with their families from motives of general oeconomy & convenience, 
have no occupation, & exercise their minds in hearing & reporting 
occurrences, great & little, as they arise. — 

Mr. Luscombe [surgeon and apothecary] called on me. We talked of 
the Climate of Devonshire, which, He felt assured is much more mild than 
the North & Eastern part of the kingdom. I mentioned Mrs. Hughes,* 
Her complaint upon the lungs, and Her having gained strength at Torquay. 
He said He should advise as follows, — " While Mrs. Hughes appears 
to be deriving benefit from Her residence at Torquay, that she should 
continue there, but if it should happen that she becomes worse, or that 
Her health does not improve, let Her be removed to another part more 
Westward. My opinion " said He " is that change of air, removing from 
place to place will do more towards recovery in disorders of this kind 
than medicine or anything else to which there can be recourse. — The shift- 
ing of situation to a distance of forty or fifty miles ; — the change of 
House, — of apartments, of beds, all operates in favour of the patient." 

A Remarkable Mimic 

In the newspaper this evening I read that Charles Moore, an Auditor 
of public accts. died on Thursday last. He was the youngest Son of Dr. 
Moore, author of Travels to Italy &c. father of the late General Sir John 
Moore who was killed at the battle of Corunna. Charles, was bred to 
the law, and through the interest of the General obtained a situation 
under government from Mr. Pitt sufficient to make him independent. 
Abt. two years ago He was seized with a disorder in the head which 
gradually reduced Him to a state of idiotcy.f He excelled in humour 

• Wife of the Rev. Mr. Hughes, Prebendary of St. Paul's Cathedral. See previous Vols, 
t See Vol. v., page 201. 

VOL. VI. 179 12* 



180 The Farington Diary [I810 

of a particular kind. His imitations of the Oratory of the late Mr. 
Burke and of Lord Melville, were remarkable for the truth of the re- 
semblance both of language & manner. I state this from my own know- 
ledge of him & of this His power. 

November 1 3 . — After breakfast Mr. Patch called upon me & I walked 
with him to Leakey's, & saw His pictures. I found him a modest and 
ingenious young man. He paints miniatures in oil, in a very neat manner. 
He also shewed me fancy subjects ; portraits in oil large as the life, & 
landscapes. One of his fancy pictures " A Gipsy telling their fortunes to 
young women," very prettily designed. Whilst I was in His room 
Leakey spoke to Mr. Patch expressing a desire to paint my portrait ; 
this Mr. Patch communicated to me, but I could give no answer on 
acct. of the uncertainty of my stay in Exeter. — 

November 14. — Gustavus Adolphus, the deposed King of Sweden, 
arrived at Yarmouth from Riga, in the Tartarus frigate. 

November 15. — I passed the morning in sketching abroad, the weather 
often interrupting my progress. — I dined with the Revd. Mr. Patch and 
met Leakey there. We had much conversation abt. art, & I obtained 
various information of a provincial kind. — Leakey spoke of lull* a land- 
scape painter, an imitator of Rysdael, who had some reputation abt. 50 
years ago. Vivares,\ engraved one or two plates from pictures by Him. 
He died in London when not more than 30 years old. A Son of His was 
in Exeter with whom Leakey was acquainted. He was a Herald painter, 
but also painted small landscapes. — 

John Varley's Vanity 

Varley, was mentioned, and his having been lately at Sir Thomas 
Acland'sl who resides abt. 5 miles from Exeter, where He exposed His 

* N. Tull. 

t There were two engravers of that name, Francois, and Thomas, who was one of the 
former's thirty-one children. 

X Sir Thomas Dyke Acland, tenth Baronet (i 787-1 871), at the age of nine succeeded 
his father in 1796. While an undergraduate at Oxford he helped to found the Grillow 
Club, and in 1831 he received the honorary degree of D.C.L. 

An ardent politician. Sir Thomas first entered Parliament as member for Devonshire 
in 18 1 2. He supported Catholic emancipation, and his interest in religious work generally 
brought him into the notice of men such as Bishop Wilberforce and Sir Walter Scott, 
who in his Journal [Vol. II., page 163], refers to him as " the head of the religious party 
in the House of Commons." He was a " thorough gentleman " and a fine example of the 
independent politician. A statue of him is erected in Exeter as a " tribute of affectionate 
respect for private worth and public integrity." 

Mr. William de G. Lamotte writes : In the portion of Farington's interesting diary 
published in the Morning Post on June 6th, 1923, reference is made to Sir Thomas Dyke 
Acland's sketches made during a tour in Norway and Sweden in 1807. In that tour, Sir 
Thomas was accompanied by my grandfather, who published an interesting account of their 
trip in his book " Voyage dans le Nord de I'Europe." Fifteen of Sir T. Acland's drawings 
illustrate the book. The first of these was engraved by John Landseer, A.R.A., the other 
fourteen by George Cooke. 



1810] John Varley's Vanity 181 

vanity, Mr. Patch sd. that at the Bishop of Exeter's dinner on Monday 
last a Mr. Barnard was one of the Company, who had met Varley at Sir 
T. Acland's. He said, that Varley there declared " That there were 
only four artists in England who understood light & shade, and that 
three of them were His pupils,'' of course reserving to himself the fourth 
and superior place. — Leakey Varley sd. while looking at some land- 
scapes, by the former, " I see you have been looking at the works of 
Claude, what you have done He did, you should not make them your 
examples." — Leakey supposed He meant the etchings after Claude. — 
He told Leakey " That His [Varley's] sketches were bought hy painters .,• " 
meaning as studies for their improvement. 

Sir Thomas Acland is much devoted to Art. He is abt. 24 years old 
& of a very unassuming disposition. He married His Cousin ; a daugr. 
of Mr. [Henry] Hoare, the Banker. — Col. Acland who was in Genl. 
Burgoyne's army in America, was Uncle to Sir Thomas. He left only 
one daugr. who is married to Lord Porchester. She had or will have 
a fortune of ;£4000 a year chiefly from Her Mother. — 

The Father of the late Sir Francis Baring was a merchant in Exeter 
who acquired a considerable fortune. He left to Mr. John Baring, His 
eldest Son, who at the age of 80 resides near Exeter ; ^30,000, — and to 
Sir Francis ^10,000, who in His youth was apprentice to Mr. Pate a 
merchant in London. — 

Patch the Painter 

The Father of Mr. Patch, our Host, was a very eminent Surgeon in 
Exeter. He occupied the ground attached to the Castle and built the 
House in which Mr. Granger, the Wine Merchant now resides. — Mr. 
Patch,* the painter, who resided with the late Sir Horace Mann,t at 
Florence, was His Brother, & had been in his youth apprentice to an 
Apothecary in Exeter, and at that time gave offence by drawing carica- 
tures of persons. He went abroad with or abt. the time that Jenkins 
did ; He who afterwards became the well-known Cicerone and Banker at 
Rome. — Mr. Patch shewed me some small landscapes painted by His 
Uncle, and a book of figures, caricatures etched. — 

* Thomas Patch, who died in 1782, studied art in London, and when a young man 
he went to Italy with Richard Dalton, the artist. He entered the Academy at Rome, 
and was patronised by the Earl of Charlemont and others. A portrait of Patch appears 
in a caricature of Raphael's " School at Athens," drawn by Sir Joshua Reynolds, who met 
Patch in the Eternal City. It is to the credit of Patch that he was one of the earliest of 
those who recognised the genius of Masaccio, whose great frescoes In the Church of the 
Carmini at Florence were drawn, etched, and published by Patch in twenty-six plates in 
1770. The volume has an introduction by Sir Horace Mann, in whose house at Florence 
he died from apoplexy on April 30th, 1782. 

t British Envoy at Florence, was the second son of Robert Mann, a successful London 
merchant. He is now best remembered by his correspondence with Sir Horace Walpole. 
See Vols. I., III., IV., V. 



182 The Farington Diary [I810 

Gainsborough and Vandyck 

Mr, Patch told me that what Jackson, the celebrated musician, pub- 
lished respecting the death of Gainsborough, the painter, was not correct. 
Mr. Pierse [Pearce],* one of the Clerks of the Admiralty who was ex- 
tremely intimate with Gainsborough, said to Mr. Patch, " I was seated by 
His bed side when He died, and a little before He expired He uttered these 
words " Vandyke was right." 

Jackson, the musician, died at Exeter 3 or 4 years ago. He was a 
handsome looking man with much talent. He could be very agreeable, 
but He was capricious, & would or would not talk when in company 
according to the humour He was in. He had a great respect for old Mr. 
Patch, the Surgeon, whose knowledge was so various and extensive that 
Jackson was accustomed to say " He never wanted Chambers^ s Dictionary 
while Mr. Patch lived. — 

A Canonry of Exeter is reckoned worth ^600 a year. Mr. Bartlam 
as Precentor (Chaunter, having the superintendance of the Choir) and 
Canon, has abt. £1100 a year. Dr. Fisher is Sub-Dean & a Canon, & 
has two livings. 

Pitt's Spies 

Sheldon, the Surgeon, who was Professor of Anatomy in the Royal 
Academy after His insanity lived several years at Exeter, and at times 
was sufficiently well to be able to act as a Surgeon, but in trusting to Him 
it was always doubtful whether His mind was sufficiently steady & com- 
posed. He was called in to perform an operation upon a gentleman, 
and while preparing for the purpose, a fly happened to pass before His 
eyes, " There," said He, " is one of Pitt's spies." The operation was, of 
course, postponed. — 

[For references to John Varley, see Vols. III., IV., V., and to John Sheldon, Vol. IV., 
page 236.] 

* The phrase usually given is " We are all going to heaven, and Vandyck is of the 
company." 

William Pearce, whose version seems to be more characteristic of Gainsborough, v^^as for 
many years chief clerk at the Admiralty, and a well-knovi^n vi^riter for the stage. His farces 
were very successful, notably " Hartford Bridge." A poHtical description of the celebrated 
beauties of the time, entitled " The Bevy of Beauties," won for him the nickname of 
" Bevv Pearce." Shield set some of his songs to music, and they became extremely popular. 
Their joint effort, " Tom Moody," " You all Knew Tom Moody, the Whipper-in, Well." 
was for a long time " erroneously attributed to the elder Dibdin." It is, however, assigned 
to Pearce in Daniel's edition of " British Sports." Pearce, who married a sister of Sir Henry 
Bate Dudley, first editor of the Morning Post, died in April, 1842, at the age of 91. 



CHAPTER LII 

1810 

Westward Ho ! 

Reminiscences of Exeter and Italy 

November 16. — At | past 4 I went to dine with Leakey where I met 
Mr. Patch, only. Leakey sd. He had purchased a House adjoining 
that in which He lived. It cost the person who built & finished it upwards 
of ;£20oo, but He had bought it for £1200. He spoke of His age, being 
turned 30. 

November 17. — Mr. Patch called upon me and shewed me a letter 
written to Him by Loutherberg in 1803 upon the subject of a drawing 
which He had made for Mr. Patch. In this letter, a very characteristic 
composition, Loutherberg professes himself to be of a serious turn of 
mind, and to dislike mixing much with company. 

November 18. — Leakey called upon me and sat sometime. He told 
me that the grandfather of the late Sir Francis Baring came from Germany, 
and was in a low situation of life, a serge maker. He acquired some 
property, which was much increased by His Son. 

Cost of Living at Rome 

November 23. — Mr. Patch called upon me and I dined with him 
witht. company. He wishing to shew me letters from his late Uncle 
Mr. Thomas Patch who resided at Florence with Sir Horace Mann — 
Several of these written from Italy from 1747 to 1750. At that period 
living was so cheap at Rome that whilst pursuing his studies there He 
did not desire more than a guinea a week. He mentioned being intro- 
duced to Fernet* at Rome, who was then in the highest repute there, 
& in Patch's opinion superior to Claude. " He was by all allowed to 
be so in painting figures." Vernet had married an English woman 
which caused him to pay more particular attention to English artists. — 

* Claude Joseph Vernet (1714-1789), the famous French painter, was married in Rome 
to Cecilia Parker, daughter of the Pope's naval commander. His wife's madness and death 
embittered his last years. He died at his residence in the Louvre on December 3rd, 1789. 

183 



184 The Faring ton Diary [I810 

Of this Mr. Patch I had before often heard something or other. He 
made Httle progress in the art, and died abt. 30 years ago. His com- 
parison of the works of Vernet with those of Claude might cause a belief 
that He had but little feeling of the perfection of Art, did we not see that 
those who assume a great deal and obtain the public opinion in favour of 
their judgment sometimes shew equal insensibility. 

Novelty in Art 

Barry on his arrival from Ireland was so much struck with the charms 
of Barrett's landscapes that He wrote to His friend in Dublin an enco- 
mium upon them, and manifestly considered Barrett a genius superior 
to Claude. But it should candidly be allowed that at the period when 
Patch & Barry wrote these criticisms, they were young men, novices in 
the Art ; their taste uncultivated, and it wd. be judging against experience 
not to allow that He whose early notions were crude may not by observa- 
tion & comparison become refined in taste and feeling. 

One good arises out of these errors in judging of works of art, as it 
shews the folly of temporary outcry in favour of novelties, that have not 
had the test of time to give them permanent repute ; and we should 
by such instances as these be guarded against being carried away by the 
current opinion, which was the case both with Patch & Barry, who in 
reality only echoed what they heard. 

From Tom Thumb to Newton 

Mr. Patch spoke of his own Father with great veneration. As a 
Surgeon He was at the head of his profession ; & He repeated " That His 
knowledge was so extensive that from conversing with a child abt. His 
" Tom Thumb " He could go through the depths of the Newtonian Philo- 
sophy." He was posessed of so much Philanthropy, had so much bene- 
volence, & professionally as well as otherways was so attentive to the 
well doing of all who lived in His vicinity, as to excite general respect & 
regard. When He walked through the streets of Exeter every Hat was 
off to him. The property I posess, sd. Mr. Patch, " I had from my 
mother ; from my Father I shd. have had nothing. He was too generous 
for a man who had a view to saving anything." 

A Surgeon's Mode of Living 

I asked Mr. Patch what was His Father's mode of living ? He 
repHed that His Father usually arose abt. 8 oClock, but His nights were 
so frequently broken in upon by professional calls upon him that nothing 
cd. be said abt. a rule in this respect. At breakfast He drank tea ; of 
which He was very foild ; and at one oClock He drank coffee. At 3 
oClock He dined, and drank 3 glasses of wine, white wine by choice it 
being most agreeable to his taste & Calcavella He preferred. At 6 oClock 
He had tea ; and supped at 9, which was always His best meal ; after 



1810] A London Apothecary 185 

which He drank some punch, and retired to bed toward Eleven oClock, 
He held the notions of wholesome and unwholesome, as applied generally, 
very lightly, saying that what was good for one constitution might not 
agree with another ; experience wd. shew what was best for each person. 
He was in his person a strong man, who might be expected to live to an 
advanced period. He was occasionally subject to the gravel, but not in 
any great degree. His death was occasioned by His being called up in 
the night, in severe weather in Jany. 1788. He was soon after seized 
with a stranguary which in a short time caused His death at the age 
of 64. He was married four times. 

Mr. Patch also spoke of his late Uncle Mr. [James] Patch an eminent 
Apothecary [and Surgeon] who resided in Norfolk St. in the Strand, 
London, and was in high repute in His profession. His natural tem- 
perament was severe, and He was not disposed to make allowances for 
frailties. His general deportment caused Him to be looked to as a 
man who lived by a strict & undeviating rule which inspired an extra- 
ordinary confidence in Him and the property of many persons with whom 
He was connected was placed in his hands. While this opinion of His 
integrity existed it suddenly appeared that His discretion had given 
way to the temptation of becoming rich by speculating in the funds, for 
which purpose He was engaged with a Broker of the name of Woodmason. 
In these speculations He had committed all the property which had 
been entrusted to him, & the ruined state of His affairs preyed upon His 
mind & caused His death in the early part of the year 1791. 

Effect of Anxiety 

It then came out that the fortunes of two of His daugrs. in law who 
lived with him, amounting together to ^£8000, were sunk. These ladies, 
Misses Calnuts, were objects of pity, & their case made such an impression 
on the minds of many that a large subscription was raised for them, 
sufficient to procure them an annuity of ^i^o. For sometime previous 
to the commencement of an illness which after a time confined Him to 
His bed He had surprised His relatives by an entire change in his mode 
of living. Having a very handsome income from his profession He had 
been accustomed to live in a very liberal & hospitable manner but He 
now had His table kept in so mean a way as to be very much below 
his station in life. This could not be accounted for till the speculations 
He had been engaged in & the state of His affairs became known. Thus 
did He live with a mind corroded by despairing anxiety, the effect of 
giving way to a temptation which it would have been supposed He of all 
men would have resisted being a man sternly opponent to every devia- 
tion from prudence & propriety, and least disposed to concede anything 
for the weaknesses of human nature. 

The Miss Calnut's mentioned a circumstance which happened whilst 
He was upon His death-bed. 

A letter was one day brought to him, which having read it was no 



186 The Farington Diary [I810 

more seen, and they who watched his bed were convinced that He must 
have swallowed it to prevent it being read. It afterwards appeared 
that it was a letter from His Broker, informing Him that in the specula- 
tion of that day twenty pounds had been gained. — To this account I 
attended with additional interest having heard much respecting it at the 
time it happened from Mr. Campion, partner to my friend the late 
Mr. Offley, He being related to Mr. Patch by marriage, and had long been 
in a state of intimate intercourse with him. 



CHAPTER LIII 

1810 

Westward Ho ! 

A Scholar 

November 23. — Dr. Parr, an eminent Physician of Exeter, having 
died yesterday, became a subject of our conversation. He was a man 
who had much Hterary knowledge, and considerable practice in His 
profession, but His disposition was avaritious, and He gave way to much 
sensuality, even to low, impure connexions ; and in the indulgence of his 
appetite He sought for luxurious food. He appeared to be sensible that 
His constitution was giving way sometime before He died, but this did 
not lessen his desire for such gratification. A week before His death 
He ordered a goose which was considered strong diet for an invalid. 
His professional practise was supposed to bring Him in abt. ^1500 a year, 
but He derived [a] fortune from other sources and was judged to be 
posessed of 80 or ^100,000. Such was the acct. given me ; another 
lesson of inconsistency. A man of a grave profession ; a scholar much 
devoted to literary pursuits ; one who had liberal intercourse with 
society, and whose business it was to study the human constitution ; yet 
with all these advantages, and guards against imprudence. He was 
said to be selfish & narrow in his mind ; an epicure in his living ; and 
to risk His constitution to gratify His passions. — 

Tragedy 

Mr. John Baring* of Mount Radford, a House in the suburbs of 
Exeter, the elder Brother of Sir Francis Baring lately deceased, gave 
in His income ^10,000 a year to the Commissioners of property Tax. 
He represented the City of Exeter in Parliament a great number of years 
& He told Mr. Patch that the expences He had been at on this acct. 
amounted to -^40,000. His second Son who shot himself at His House 
in Charles St. Berkley Square on the 14th. of this month came down to 

* See Vol. V. 
187 



188 The Farington Diary [1810 

Mount Radford abt. three weeks ago and then acted hke a man in an 
insane state. He had been to [Micheldever] in Hampshire where His 
Uncle Sir Francis Baring was deposited in the family vault, & there 
threw himself upon the Coffin, & could not be got away but with diffi- 
culty. He afterwards stopped at Honiton on his way to Mount Radford, 
& remained there one night, & the next morning He ordered a chaise and 
four which He kept waiting at the door five Hours. He suddenly left 
Mount Radford after a very short stay there, & returned to London 
where He soon put an end to His life. He was abt. 46 years of age & 
never was married. The manner of His death is not known to His Father. 

A Great Picquet Player 

Mr. John Baring had two Sons & four daughters, but two of His 
daughters are dead. One of the surviving daughters, is a widow, the 
other, who resides with her Father is abt. 40 years of age and is un- 
married. His eldest Son is also in a single state ; is abt. 50 years of age, 
has lived much in the world, being a member of Brooke's Club in St. 
James's street, and is reckoned to be one of the best players at picquet 
in England, & says that at his game He won from the late Charles Fox 
(the great Parliamentary Orator) the last ten guineas He had at one period. 
Mr. Baring is, however, now in a very nervous state, and manifests all 
that ennui which the want of occupation will cause, and verifies the 
maxim of Rochefoucauld " That there can be no happiness in this life 
where the desires are not fixed," — meaning of course upon proper objects. 

More Devon Artists 

After tea a young man of the name of Traies* came it being the wish 
of Mr. Patch that I shd. see him as His mind is bent upon being an 
artist. I looked at a few of His attempts at drawing & found He had 
everything to learn ; but His resolution seemed to be fixed. He told me 
He was twenty one years old ; and at present employed as a Clerk to a 
Manufacturer. A correspondence which He keeps up with a young 
man of the name of Passmoref who is now painting at the British Insti- 
tution, seemed to have a great effect in increasing His desire to proceed 
in the same way. I remarked that He had but one eye but was informed 
it was not owing to any weakness in those parts, but that He was born 
so, & saw well with the other. — 

* William Traies, who was born at Crediton, near Exeter, in 1789. Traies was at one 
time a clerk in the Post Office. He became known locally as the " Devonshire Claude." 
Four works by him were shown at the Royal Academy (18 17, 1822, and 1845). The first 
was sent from' Marylebone Street, Golden Square, London, the three others from Exeter, 
where he died on April 28th, 1872. A picture by him is at the Victoria and Albert Museum. 

t Several artists of this name exhibited at the British Institution and Royal Academy, 
but we cannot say whether the Passmore mentioned in the above entry was one of those. 
None of them exliibited before 1829. 



1810] Lempri^re 189 

November 25. — I went to St. John's Chapel, where Dr. Lempriere* 
officiated. He is Master of the Free School, an ancient establishment 
in this City, part of St. John's Hospital which was founded in 1238 
having been in the year 1632 converted into a Free School (for instructing 
the youth of this City in Classical learning) at the expence of the Mayor 
& Chamber, who also built a convenient dwelling-house, adjoining the 
School, for the Master & endowed the same with a salary of ^30 a year 
for the Master and ^10 for an Usher. The Stipend is but small but the 
Master has also the advantages which arise from having boarders. Dr. 
Lempriere appeared to me to be 46 or 8 years old. He is author of two 
works viz Bibliotheca Classica, and Universal Biography, both published 
by Cadell & Davis. — 

A Bad Custom 

At this Chapel as in the Churches in this City & as Dr. Fisher in- 
formed me in many other places in this country, the Clerk reads the first 
lesson whilst the Clergyman sets by Him a listener like any other of the 
congregation. This custom has such an appearance of indolent in- 
difference that I was again induced to notice it to Dr. Fisher who I called 
upon after divine service. He agreed with me in very much disapprov- 
ing this custom, and felt another objection to it which I offered, that of 
the provincial dialect & bad reading of the Clerks which must extremely 
weaken the effect of what is read. — 

[November 26. — Gale Jones was sentenced by the Court of King's 
Bench to be confined 12 Calendar months in Cold Bath fields prison and 
to find security for his good behaviour, himself in ;^5oo and two sureties 
in £250 each. 

The persons convicted at Lancaster, of the riot at the Liverpool 
Theatre, to prevent the prices from being raised, were sentenced, two of 
them to be confined in Lancaster gaol 12 months, two for 3 months, and 
one for 2 months. — From small note-book.] — 



A Firm Man 

November 27. — In the evening Mr. Patch called. — He told me the 
funeral of Mr. J. Baring who shot himself was to be tomorrow morning, 
the body to be brought to Mount Radford this evening. He talked of 
Mr. John Baring, the Father, & sd. that till He was 70 years of age He 
had an almost uninterrupted Hfe of happiness. He then lost two 
daughters and has now lost this Son. He sd. Mr. Baring has the family 

* Dr. John Lempriere (1765 (?)-i824), a native of Jersey, was educated at Winchester 
College and Pembroke College, Oxford. In 1809 he was appointed Master of the Exeter 
Free Grammar School, with a salary of j£43 a year and a house ; two years later he was 
presented to the living of Meeth, in Devonshire. 



190 The Farington Diary [i8io 

characteristick. He never shews distress, but suppresses His feelings 
so far as not to make them apparent. He looked up to His Brother 
the late Sir Francis Baring as being a very superior man. When 
Mr. Patch has complimented him on his firmness of mind He has replied 
" Look to my Brother, He is the firm man." 



CHAPTER LIV 

1810 

Westward Ho ! 

Vernet and Louis XV 

November 28. — I finished my drawing of the Cathedral & dined 
with Mr. Patch. He shewed me more letters written by His late Uncle 
Thomas Patch. In one of them dated Deer. 175 1 He states, That Vernet, 
the celebrated French painter is gone to Paris, having been sent for by the 
King for the purpose of painting forty views of the principal Sea-ports 
in France, for which He is to have ;£i5oo, and it will occupy him three 
years. Also that a pupil of Vernet's had been sent for to Rome by the 
Duke of Orleans to copy these pictures, and was to have a salary of ;^400 
a year. Vernet regretted that He was not in Paris when this young 
man was sent for otherwise He would have recommended Patch for this 
commission. 

Mr. Patch attended the funeral of Mr. J. Baring this morning at 8 
oClock, and read the service. The body was brot. last night, and Mr. 
Baring, the Father, was then much affected, but happily does not know 
the cause of His Son's death. — Mr. Baring is now more than 80 years 
of age with a very good constitution. He is fond of Society, & has kept 
a great deal of company, but on arriving at that period. He formed a 
resolution to limit this intercourse to His near neighbours or particular 
friends, saying, that it was then time for a man to think himself past 
the time for enjoying general society. — 

Capt. Watson of the Navy 

Mr. Patch shewed me a view of Exeter drawn with some ingenuity 
by Captn. Watson of the Navy, of whose character He spoke very highly. 
He mentioned an incident which I heard with interest as a genuine & 
remarkable instance of powerful affection & feeling. Captain Watson 
married a very pretty woman who was raised by it from a situation in 
life rather inferior to his. After having children & living together some- 
time, He was ordered on public service. At the end of abt. two years she 

191 



192 The Faring ton Diary [I810 

reed, a letter from him. informing Her that He expected to be at Ply- 
mouth at a certain time & she proceeded to that place to be ready to re- 
ceive him. It happened that He returned sooner than He had reckoned 
upon, and while she was walking in the street He suddenly appeared 
before Her accompanied by an acquaintance which agitated & affected 
Her so much that she ran from him to Her Inn whither He followed Her 
to calm Her spirits which had reed, too great a shock for her reason to 
bear for the moment.* — 

An Avaricious Doctor 

November 29. — I went to Leakey who began to paint my portrait, 
a miniature in Oil Colours. I sat to him an Hour and half. — 

I called on Dr. Fisher, & afterwards went to a House where I pro- 
ceeded on a sketch of a subject seen from a window. On leaving this 
place I was suddenly seized with giddiness of the head, & made the best 
of my way to my Inn. Here it increased upon me to an alarming degree, 
so to render me incapable of moving from my seat. In this state I 
sent for Mr. Luscombe, who, not being at home, I sent for Dr. Daniell & 
on His coming He found, as I myself, had perceived, that my complaint 
arose from my stomach, which caused my disposition to sickness. He 
left me & sent an Emetic, which I took, & after the effect of it went 
to bed at 6 oClock. In the meantime Mr. Luscombe called on me. — In 
the even'g Dr. Daniell called again & found me much better. 

November 30. — Mr. Luscombe called, & I availed myself of the 
opportunity to ask him what fee I shd. give Dr. Daniell. He told me 
that the usual fee at Exeter was a guinea for two visits, & that being 
recovered if I shd. give Dr. Daniell that fee it wd. be quite sufficient. 
While we were talking Dr. Daniell came & saw me, what I professed to 
be, well in every respect, but a little relaxed from the operation I had 
undergone. 

He recommended to me to keep in the house, & on going away sd. 

* Captain G. Burges Watson, R.N., writes : I was amused to read in Mr. Faring- 
ton's Diary a curious story, which related to my great-grandfather, Captain Joshua Rowley 
Watson. He was an amateur water-colour artist, whose work was well above the average. 
I have two fine water-colours of his which are quite a large size, and the finish is really 
beautiful. I also possess many of his sketch-books and a collection of views in the West 
Country. The most interesting sketches are those of America in 1816, including views 
of New York, Boston, etc. 

His wife must have been a highly-strung woman, as the following story, added to Far- 
ington's, seems to prove. Captain and Mrs. Watson were staying with friends in Exeter, 
and their children were lodged in another house. As the sun was setting, the red Hght 
became reflected in the windows of the children's house. Mrs. Watson shrieked out to 
her husband that their house was on fire. He rushed downstairs, but the exertion was 
too sudden for a weak heart, and he collapsed and died in her arms. 

His father was also a Captain, R.N., who served as Flag Captain to Admiral Joshua 
Rowley, and died as the result of wounds received in the action, which Lord Rodney 
always looked back upon as his missed opportunity, in the West Indies. 1781 is, I think, 
the date. 



1810] William Jackson, Musician 193 

He wd. call again in the even^g. Mr. Luscombe being still with me I 
remarked that there could be no necessity for Dr. Daniell to call again, 
in which He fully agreed, & recommended to me to write a note to him 
to prevent it, which, in the afternoon I did, & prevented his further visits 
for fees, which I was soon after informed He perseveres in obtaining to 
the utmost extent of the opportunity afforded him. 

Mr. Patch called on me. He spoke of Jackson, the musician,* & 
told me that when more than 60 years of age He formed an attachment 
to a young woman daughter of a Clergyman deceased, who with Her 
Sister, lodged in Fore street, Exeter. With her he was accustomed to 
drink tea every evening, & the result of this intercourse was that He had 
two children by her. Previous to Her delivery of the last, she removed 
to London for privacy, where she was delivered of a son, & soon after 
was seized with a malignant fever of which she died. This child Jackson 
took under His care and was upon such a footing with His daughter, a 
woman advanced in years to the middle of life, as to confide to Her the 
circumstances of this connexion. Further, Jackson having died, this 
infant continued under Her protection & it was to him she bequeathed 
Her fortune to the disappointment of Her Husband, Mr. Downman.f 
Jackson had also made this child the Heir of such property as He had to 
dispose of. His son & daughter by marriage being provided. The former 
was sent to the East Indies, through the interest of Mr. Dunning (Lord 
Ashburton)! & there made a fortune of ^30,000. He built a House at 
Cowley 2 miles from Exeter, & resided there some time, but an income 
which would have supported His establishment some years ago would 
not at the present time be equal to it. He has therefore let his House 
to the Marquiss of Bute, & with His family He, himself, resides at 
Exmouth. 

Fox Glove 

The popularity of Jackson's musical compositions makes these 
anecdotes of Him & His family somewhat interesting. Jackson had 
lived with loose opinions with respect to religion to a late period of 
life, & His conduct as has here been shewn corresponded with it, but it 
is said that sometime before his death He became a convert to better 

* William Jackson (1730-1803) was the son of an Exeter grocer who later became Master 
of the City Workhouse. Wilham's music is refined rather than forceful. His association 
with Gainsborough keeps him in our memory more than do his musical compositions. 
He was an intimate friend of the painter, whose letters to him, preserved at the Royal 
Academy, are among the most piquant of their kind. They are even more important than 
piquant. It has been said that Gainsborough was less intellectual than Reynolds. Let 
those who think so read Gainsborough's letters to Jackson and to Lord Dartmouth and 
say if there is anything more significant of life and art in the " Discourses " of Sir Joshua. 
See Vols. H., HL, IV. 

t See entry Chapter XLVII. 

X See Vols. I., III. 

VOL. VI. 13 



194 The Farington Diary - [isio 

opinions, which arose from his having read Gilpin's [Probably " Moral 
Contrasts " (1798) by the Rev. William Gilpin, brother of Sawrey Gilpin, 
R.A.].* Jackson was affected with a dropsy in his chest which was 
removed by His taking the medicine called Fox Glove ; & He lived two 
years and a Half after His first seizure. When he first took this medicine 
so violent was its stimulus, that His pulse arose to 140, from which it 
gradually fell to its proper level. 

* See Vols. I., III. 



CHAPTER LV 

1810 

Westward Ho ! 

Sir Alexander Hamilton 

November 30. — Sir Alexander Hamilton's* disorder of which He 
died was also a dropsy in the Chest, & in His case the Fox-Glove was 
applied with success so far as to lessen or remove the complaint for some 
time. He was attended by Dr. Millar, a young man from Scotland 
now settled in Exeter, whose time was for a considerable period almost 
wholly devoted to Sir Alexander, whose death was at last felt by himself 
to be approaching. He then expressed to his Executors that He had 
never given any fees to Dr. Millar & was at a loss as to the sum that 
might be proper. He therefore directed His Executors to take into 
their consideration what ought to be given to him, & when they had 
determined upon [it], He desired that £250 more than the sum thus 
specified shd. be added to it, which was done accordingly, and Dr. Millar 
reed, either eight hundred or a thousand pounds. 

The whole of this sum He sent to His Father Dr. Millar, a clergyman 
in Scotland, who upon receiving it informed His Son that to Him & to 
His Brothers, He had given good educations & He & they would be able 
to make their way in the world, but that He had a daugr. their sister, 
who wd. be unprovided for & to Her He shd. give this and any other pro- 
perty He might be able to leave. To this the Sons entirely approved, 
& exhibited thereby a remarkable instance of family affection. — Dr. 
Millar is abt. 29 years old, and has been 3 years at Exeter. 

Traies, the young man who came to Mr. Patch's called on me & 
shewed me a letter from His acquaintance Passmore who is now studying 
at the British Institution. In this letter the young man stated himself 
to be living in a garret on or near Tower Hill, placed between Opulence 
& poverty, the latter of which was more His lot, but that He was content 
whilst studying an art to which He felt devoted, — and was kept in 
spirits by the hope of acquiring that which He was striving to obtain ; 
He added that His mother was with him. 

* See Chapter XLIII. 
VOL. VI. 195 13* 



196 The Farington Diary [I810 

December 1. — Mr. Luscombe called. We talked about diet. He 
said change from an accustomed habit was dangerous for one advanced 
in life. He recommended to me to drink three or four glasses of wine 
daily ; also to eat rice with my animal food mixing it with the gravy 
from the meat. — 

December 2. — The people were this day agitated by accts. from Fal- 
mouth of the arrival of the Jasper Sloop of war with information that 
Massena being distressed for provisions had broke up his Camp on the 
13th Novr., had spiked His heavy artillery, left His heavy baggage, & 
was in full retreat for Spain, and that Lord Wellington with his army 
had moved on towards him. — In the afternoon I went to St. John's 
Chapel, & noticed that Dr. Lempriere himself read the first lesson. — 

The Portuguese 

At 5 oClock I dined with Dr. Fisher. — Mr. Turner is a wine mer- 
chant in Exeter and carries on a manufacturing business. He read a 
letter from his agent at Falmouth containing the information before 
specified. He told me He had resided in Portugal many years, & knew 
the country well. He said no men were better calculated to make 
good Soldiers than the Portuguese, they being strong in body & capable 
of enduring hardships & privations. This He sd. was the opinion held 
of them, but the character of the Portuguese troops had been degraded 
owing to their being commanded by bad officers. He said the Portuguese 
hate the French, & the Spaniards. 

Mr. Turner spoke of the Manufacturing trade of Exeter as having 
suffered more from the exclusion of British manufacturers from the 
Continent than any other place had done. — 

Farington and Divine Providence 

December 3. — This, my Birthday, which completes the 6T)rd. year 
of my age, I hope I feel with its proper attending ideas. I have arrived 
at a period formidable in the common calculation and in the reckoning 
of the stages of life, a crisis most important. It has pleased God to 
permit me to arrive at this point posessed of all the faculties of mind 
granted to me ; and with bodily health unaffected by chronical disease 
or any other complaint to render life painful. 

That gradual imperceptible decay which has made a difference in 
the size of my person is all I have to notice, for my general strength is 
now sufficient for the purposes where common exertion only is required, 
& I experience no weakness to prevent me from doing whatever a man of 
my age may reasonably be expected to do. Sensible of the goodness 
of divine providence in thus indulging & protecting me grateful thanks 
fill my mind ; and I offer up my prayers to the Divine Dispenser of all 
good that being circumstanced in life as I am, and with [my] present 
capacity for the duties of life, I may Have that grace, and those dis- 



1810] Farington and Divine Providence 197 

positions, which will keep me humble & dutiful to liim, and active in 
discharging my professional & other engagements necessary in Society, 
with zeal and fidelity, and that all my errors past, & those which against 
my striving I may hereafter commit, may through the mediation of our 
blessed Saviour Jesus Christ, be pardoned, and that at whatever time my 
soul may be required, I may die resigned, in peace, & in full hope of 
being accepted a Sinner forgiven of all his misdoings. — Amen.* 

Encouraging Young Men 

After breakfast I went to Leakey and He proceeded on my portrait. 
I expressed to him my sentiments respecting encouraging young men 
to endeavour to become artists upon such slender proofs of talent as those 
shewn me by Traile the young man countenanced by Mr. Patch. I 
told him it was leading such from an humble but safe situation to diffi- 
culty & to probably almost beggary and that it ought to be spoken against 
by those who know the parties. He entirely agreed with me, & said 
He had so much discouraged it that now Mr. Patch, whose meaning is 
kind, refrains from mentioning these young men of what He conceives 
to be promise, to him. 

The French in Retreat 

I dined with Leakey. Before dinner Mr. Estcott gratified us by 
reading a letter reed, by His Son from an Officer in the 50th. regiment, 
now in Portugal, stating that Massena had broke up his camp and was 
retreating into Spain ; that He had moved forward the Main body of 
His army three days before it was known to the English, & that they 
were then in pursuit of him. The officer stated that in their retreat the 
French did [no] injury to the towns, through which they passed, & 
that they neither took away anything but what was necessary as food 
where they found it. Houses, with the furniture in them, were left 
untouched. — 

Leakey informed me that Mr. Estcott is a Minor Canon of the Cathe- 
dral ; that Mr. Bailey is Surgeon to the East Kent Militia ; and that Mr. 
Lewis, a young man, is a boarder with Leakey. Mr. Estcott, is at an 
advanced age. He differed from Mr. Turner & Dr. Fisher with respect to 
the Healthiness of Exeter as a situation & thought it more healthy, & 
that the inhabitants generally live longer than they do in other towns. — 

* March 23rd, 1865. — With deep gratitude in my %ith. year I read this expression of 
my venerated Uncle & hope I do very truly experience the same feelings. — Wm. ffarington. — 
Admiral. 

These words are written on a slip fastened into the Diary, and are an indication that the 
Admiral had read and appreciated his uncle's writings. 



CHAPTER LVI 

1810 
Westward Ho ! 

Diseases of Soldiers 

December 3. — I had much conversation with Mr, Bailey on the 
subject of diseases to which soldiers are more liable than others from 
their being more exposed to the effects of weather. He gave it as an 
opinion that generally speaking most fevers have in them a tendency 
to Typhus fever, & this not with Soldiers only. Of the Typhus fever 
He said, that when it cannot be checked in three or four days it will have 
its course, & often continues from 19 to 23 or 4 days. In this case all 
that medical men can do is to mitigate the symptoms. — He spoke of a 
disease which the passions of men with women lead them to, and said 
that this disorder is much less frequent at Portsmouth, and He under- 
stands at Plymouth, where the communication of women with Sailors 
and Soldiers is much more common than in towns differently situated, 
much less than at Exeter for instance. This He said, is owing to a sort 
of police kept up among the women who expose themselves at these 
Sea ports. Whenever it is known that a woman is not free from the 
complaint she is obliged to retire till she is restored to health, each of 
them knowing that were this care to be neglected she herself might 
become a sufferer from it. 

A Celebrated Surgeon 

He [Mr. Estcott, Minor Canon of Exeter Cathedral] said He had 
been a pupil of Mr. Carpue, a celebrated Surgeon* in London & men- 
tioned that three or four years ago Mr. Carpue was called to attend 
the Princess AmeHa, who, at that time, had a disorder in one of Her knees, 
the effect of Scrophula. She suffered much from it and His attendance 
upon Her was unremitting for 14 days. He then left Windsor, but 
received no other remuneration for his time & the trouble He had had 
than the bare payment of His travelling expenses to & from Windsor. 
He was at the time a Surgeon on the Staff, & on that ground it was sup- 
posed that no reward was judged to be necessary. 

* Joseph Constantine Carpue (1764- 1846). 
198 



1810] 



Healthiness of Exeter 199 



December 4. — I dined with Mr. Luscombe at | past 4. — After the 
different conversations I had heard of the healthiness & unhealthiness 
of Exeter I now had Mr. Luscombe's opinion. He gave it in favour 
of the situation, and said He had full means of judging of it, He having 
as Surgeon & Apothecary the charge of one of the four districts into 
which this City is divided for the better regulating & attending to the 
poor. He told me that in the last quarter of a year He had not had one 
instance of fever, a strong proof of the healthiness of the situation, & 
that all his other observation confirms Him in his opinion. — I spoke to 
him on the subject oi paralysis. He did not concur with Dr. Woollcombe 
of Plymouth in thinking this disorder has increased in the degree Dr. W. 
describes it, if at all. 

Insanity and Methodism 

The disorder which has really increased is insanity which is proved 
in the Hospital, and that the two principal causes of this malady arc 
religion with Methodism, and drinking and that the cases in which religion 
of this character has been the cause are found to be the most difficult 
to cure. The last time Mr. Luscombe enquired into the state of the 
Hospital He found that there were forty persons confined who laboured 
under this particular effect, insanity arising from Methodism. — 

December 5. — After breakfast I went to Dr. Fishers and intended 
to have made a sketch of the North tower of the Cathedral from his 
window but the light was unfavourable. Mr. & Mrs. Luscombe called 
upon me there & I went with them to see a model of the Cathedral of 
Exeter made by a Joiner in this town upon a scale one 7th. of an Inch to a 
foot. It appeared to have been measured with great accuracy, and 
was neatly executed. — 

Dr. Daniell I found to be the Physician most employed of any in 
this City, and is supposed to make abt. i^S'^o a year. Dr. Blackhall 
is the next in practise, &c high in reputation, and Dr. Millar the third. 
They are both young men. Mr. Patch told me Dr. Daniell is considered 
to be a safe practitioner, not given to make experiments. His manners 
are remarkably civil, and the objection which has been made to him 
has been that of His desire to make the most of the opportunities to 
increase the number of his fees. — 

[Traies] called this morning & shewed me a drawing He had made of a 
cottage near this town as a specimen of what He could do, which proved 
that He had everything to learn. I spoke to him seriously of the diffi- 
culties which were before him, & recommended to him fully to consider 
the prospect of any probability to success. I spoke against his going to 
London till He shd. have made such improvement as wd. enable Him 
to avail himself of the advantages for study which might there be afforded 
him. This advice He seemed disposed to follow. I found He had about 
Forty pounds upon which at 21 years of age He was bent to be an artist. 



200 The Farington Diary [I810 

Opie's Early Portraits 

December 6. — I went to Leakey and sat to him the third time 
and He finished the head of my portrait. — I afterwards went with Mr. 
Patch to the Hospital where I saw two portraits painted by Opie, one 
a Half length of the late Dr. Glass of Exeter, who first prepared Magnesia, 
the other a three-quarter of the late Mr. Patch, the Surgeon, father of 
Mr. Patch. These portraits were painted by Opie while on his way from 
Cornwall to London before He had seen any other works of art but those 
He had met with in Cornwall, & Devonshire, yet are [these] pictures, 
especially that of Mr. Patch, equal in merit with those which He executed 
in the latter period of His life. It would, perhaps, not be going too far 
to say that the portrait of Mr. Patch is both in respect of drawing, close 
attention to nature, and care in execution, one of His best pictures, having 
more truth & delicacy in it, and less of manner such as every artist has 
more or less of after long practise. — 

The Return Journey 

December 8. — At a quarter before 5 I left Exeter in the Mail Coach 
with three other passengers. They proved to be very civil men ; two 
of them men of colour, natives of St. Domingo, French subjects, but 
[had] last resided at Senegal on the Coast of Africa. One of them told 
me that a man is gone into the interior of Africa in search of Mungo 
Park, the traveller. He said that men who live temperately, avoiding 
spirituous liquors, live to a good age at Senegal, to 70 and upwards. 
The third passenger appeared to be a respectable person from some 
part of Devonshire. They were so accommodating that contrary to my 
intention I proceeded with them the whole way to London viz : 176 
miles, and we arrived at the White Horse Cellar, Piccadilly, at J past 9 
oClock on Sunday morning being 3 Hours later than usual, the Coach- 
men, & Guards, having loitered on the road owing to their not having 
a Mail to carry this day to London. 

I left London to make this excursion Saturday August 25, 18 10 & 
returned on Sunday morning Deer. 9th. which made fifteen weeks 
complete. 



CHAPTER LVII 
1810 
Great Gift to Dulwich College 

December 13. — Sir F. Bourgeois' servant called with a message 
from His Master requesting me to call upon him, which I did between 
twelve & one oClock, and found him lying on a couch with a countenance 
wearing all the appearance of long continued indisposition. He told 
me He had been confined more than three months & had undergone very 
severe suffering. He described His disorder as arising from an injury 
He had received upon one of His Hip bones, from a fall. He disregarded 
it at the time, but after a while a swelling upon the part commenced, 
which had been reduced by Setons applied to the part, but at present He 
laboured under a disorder in His left leg attended with excruciating pain. 
This complaint, however, I understood to have been brot. on by that 
before mentioned. He spoke highly of Dr. Pemberton who attends him, 
& sd. Mr. Heaviside had been His Surgeon from the beginning of His 
disorder having been recommended to him by Dr. Reynolds, who also 
had attended him. — 

He then spoke of the Collection of pictures left to him by Mr. Desen- 
fans, & said That He had hopes of obtaining the House & ground which 
He then occupied to be a Freehold, in which case He might in case of his 
death leave the Collection as it now stood ; otherwise He had thought 
of two establishments to one of which He might bequeath it, namely 
to the British Museum, or to Dulwich College. — In consequence of having 
this in his mind He had applied for information respecting the British 
Museum, and on reading the laws & regulations respecting it. He had 
found that it is governed by an Aristocracy, to which He had a great 
objection, but still more to a power vested in them " That in case of 
bequests being made to the Institution they might retain for the purpose 
of Exhibition to the public any part thereof & might dispose of the 
remainder as they might think proper." So that said He, " Were I to 
leave to the British Museum this Collection of pictures the Trustees 
might break it up by retaining a part & selling the rest, which is a possi- 
bility I should not like to risk." 

201 



202 The Farington Diary [1810 

People Ignorant of Art 

Dulwich College, therefore, sd. He, " is most in my mind ; the Insti- 
tution is for an excellent purpose ; the distance from London moderate ; 
& the country abt. it deHghtful. Were this Collection to be placed there, I 
have had an apprehension of the pictures sustaining injury from being 
in the hands of people ignorant of art who might have them injudiciously 
cleaned and thereby injured, but to guard against this I have thought 
of appointing that the President of the Royal Academy for the time being 
should be a Visitor to the Collection at stated periods, & that nothing 
shd. be done to the pictures but under His direction, I have further 
thought of annexing to this appointment a Salary of £^o a year, and 
also a Sum to defray the expence of an Annual dinner to the members 
of the Royal Academy to be at Dulwich where they would assemble to 
see the collection & afterwards for a social purpose." 

Covent Garden Theatre 

Bourgeois spoke of the four vacancies of Academicians to be filled in 
February next. He said It may have been supposed that from 
His having voted with Soane supporting him in the privilege (as an 
Academy Lecturer) of criticising the works of living as well as deceased 
Artists, which He had done in His remarks upon Robert Smirke's design 
of Covent Garden Theatre, " I may have feelings unfavourable towards 
this artist ; but this I wholly disclaim, and shall give a proof that I think 
a young man who could carry on to completion such an ornament to the 
town, as this Theatre is, ought to be rewarded with distinction. He 
shall have my vote to be an Academician at the ensuing election." Some- 
thing fell from him which seemed to have in it, how far Robert Smirke 
had gone through this great business by His own power, which caused 
me to make declarations from Mr. Dance of His admiration of the skill 
& judgment & unassisted abiUty of R. Smirke. For the other three 
vacancies He spoke of Ward, and of Wilkie, as being certain ; & He 
mentioned Westmacott but witht. any particular stress laid upon His 
name. 

Naval Skirmishes 

[Accounts were reed, from India of the Ceylon & Windham Indiamen 
having been taken by French frigates after leaving the Cape of Good 
Hope, The Windham was afterwards retaken in entering Port St, Louis 
in the Isle of France ; An attack was made by His Majesty's frigates 
Sirius, Magicienne, & Nereide, and Iphigenia. Unfortunately the 
Sirius & Magicienne grounded on some unknown small shoals, & could 
not be got off. The Nereide gained her station, but was singly exposed 
to the fire of the French Ships which had got into Port Louis & to 60 
pieces of Cannon mounted on batteries. The action lasted many hours, 
until 10 at night, when the Nereide was taken posession of by a boat 




:»«^;.U-,.:s?^"' 





/ •, 










'/, 


^ J 








:j 


///■ 


'. /v 


///// 


■/./ 




V/ 




;/,>•.• 


,/ 7 5 ■> ,i 









Sir Peter Francis Bourgeois, R.A., Founder of the Dulwich 

Art Gallery. 

By J . NortJicote, engraved by W . Leney. 



\To ace p. 202. 



1810] Naval Skirmishes 208 

from the enemy, after having lost 260 men, out of 280, killed and wounded, 
& driven the whole of the enemy's ships on shore as well as Herself.* 

Capt. Willoughby, the Commander, lost an eye, & was badly wounded 
abt. the head. He resolved that the English Flag shd. never be struck 
while He had a man to fire a gun. He wd. not leave her when a boat 
from the Sirius was sent for that purpose but declared He would not 
abandon his wounded unfortunate ship-mates. — The Crews of the Sirius 
& Magicienne were landed on the Isle de Ras, the Ships were set fire to 
& burnt. The Iphigenia was warped up to that anchorage. In the mean- 
time the Active, Venus, & La Manche, French Ships with a Corvette came 
up & blockaded the entrance whilst La Bellone was got off & warped up. 
It was believed that the Iphigenia wd. soon be obliged to surrender to 
these ships from the want of provisions. — From small note-book.] 

Robt. Smirke called on me. He mentioned to me the probability 
of Lady Mary Lowtherf being married to Lord Tyrconnel, a handsome 
young man, of very good character, but small fortune. — 

Fall of Dover Cliffs 

[Part of Dover Cliffs adjoining the Castle leading to the Moats 
Bulwark, fell this day into the Ordnance timber yard in which was 
situated the house of Mr. Poole, the foreman of the Carpenters, which 
was entirely destroyed, & His wife, 5 children, and neice, buried in the 
ruins, as were 2 Horses in a stable close by. The Cliff, which was hitherto 
considered as one hard rock, is supposed to have cracked & given way in 
consequence of the late heavy rains. There is, it is supposed, upwards 
of 2000 Cart loads of chalk. — From small note-book.] 

The Dummer Estate 

December 15. — Calcott called. He told me He passed two months 
in the autumn at the Country House of Mr, Chamberlain near South- 
ampton ; and painted there. He spoke highly of the benevolent and 
agreeable disposition of Mr. Chamberlain, who being unmarried lives 

• Mr. Henry Harries writes : Faringtonrefers to the captvire, by the French, of the two 
East Indiamen, the Ceylon and the Windham, stating that the Windham was recaptured ; 
that was all the news received when he wrote. The following are the records in the 
H.E.I.C.'s Register, showing that both ships were retaken, and returned home : 

Windham, 820 tons, 5th Voyage, to Madeira and Bengal. Sir Robert Wigram, Bart., 
Ship's Husband [or Owner], Capt. John Stewart. Sailed from Portsmouth, 7 July, 1809. 
Taken 22 Nov., 1809, by the Venus, French frigate ; retaken 29 Dec. by H.M.S. Magicienne. 
Returned to her Moorings 13 Aug., 181 1. 

Ceylon, 818 tons, 4th Voyage, to Madras and Bengal. Kennard Smith, Esq., Ship's 
Husband, Capt. Henry Meriton. Sailed from Portsmouth, 14 March, 1810. Captured 
by 2 French frigates and a Corvette, and retaken at the Isle of France. Returned to her 
Moorings, 11 Aug., 181 1. 

t Lady Mary Lowther, second daughter of the first Lord Lonsdale, was married on 
September i6th, 1820, to Major-General Lord William Frederick Cavendish Bentinck, 
youngest son of the third Duke of Portland, the eminent statesman. She died on 
October 21st, 1863. 



204 The Farington Diary [I810 

there with His maiden sister, and sd. He never passed two months more 
happily. Mr. Chamberlain is Heir to the whole of the estate of the 
late Mr. Dummer whose widow married Mr. Dance a Royal Academician, 
now Sir Nathaniel Holland.* The Dummer estate joins that of Mr, 
Chamberlain, who upon the death of Lady Holland will posess the whole 
of this great property & altogether will have 15 or 3^16000 a year. 
Calcott was told that by prudent management Sir N. Holland has 
realised property equal to the amount of the Dummer estate. 

A Regency Expected 

Lawrence called in the even'g. He told me Lord Abercorn had em- 
ployed Wilkins, the Architect, at Stanmore Priory, but was not satisfied 
with His manner of proceeding, and proposing to build a Theatre there 
He intends to employ Robert Smirke. — We talked of the probability 
of a Regency being appointed in consequence of the continuation of the 
King's indisposition. He said the Princess of Wales has been much out 
of spirits at the prospect of the Regal power going to the Prince of Wales, 
which she naturally enough expects will draw off the attention of people 
from Her. She has, however, given good cause for it by Her want of 
gratitude to those who had been her sincere friends. 

The Lord Chancellor Eldon, & Mr. Perceval, had been her best ad- 
visers & friends, yet when the former lately stood for the Chancellorship 
of Oxford, she solicited votes against him, which being discovered she 
at first denied it, & when it was proved, she defended it. — This insincerity 
& want of gratitude has lessened Her very much in the opinions of 
many. She was supposed to have done it at the instigation of Lord 
Robert Fitzgerald, who has much influence with her. — 

[See previous volumes for references to Lord Eldon, Noel Joseph Desenfans and Sir 
Francis Bourgeois, and II., to Lord Robert Fitzgerald.] 

* See Vol. I., page 6k. 



CHAPTER LVIII 

1810 

The Locke Property 

December 15. — Mr. Angerstein told Lawrence that the late Mr. 
Lock of Norbury Park, in Surrey, has left an estate of 3^5000 a year, 
situated in the best part of Ireland, where there has been no troubles, 
and the rents are regularly paid. This estate is charged with an annuity 
of ;^iooo to Mrs. Lock, the widow, and ;^4000 each to the Revd. George 
Lock, Miss Lock, & to Mrs. John Angerstein, the son and daugrs. of Mr. 
Lock. Having these sums to pay, William Lock, the eldest son, has 
shut up Norbury Park for the present & resides at Brighton. Charles 
Lock, the second Son, who died in Egypt, Had his fortune in His life 
time. — 

Antiquities of Wiltshire 

December 16. — Woodforde called. He had passed some time during 
the Autumn at Sir Richd. Hoare's* at Stourhead in Wiltshire. — He spoke 
of the great work which has been prepared by Sir Richard for publica- 
tion, " On the British Antiquities in Wiltshire ". This work has occupied 
him several years, & has cost him several thousand pounds, He having 
been at the expence of opening many of those mounds of earth which had 
been formed by the British inhabitants before the coming in of the 
Romans. The discoveries He has made have been very valuable to 
Antiquarians. He has been able also sufficiently to shew that Stone 
Hcnge is formed of Stones brought from a spot about 14 miles distant from 
that part of Salisbury plain where this extraordinary mass of stones 
is erected, there being stones of the same quality lying about in a natural 
state, which does away [with] the conjecture that Stone Henge was 
formed of an artificial composition which time had hardened. Millar, 
the Bookseller, in Bond Street, publishes Sir Richard's work, but the 
expence of it has been so great, that though He has made terms with 
Millar, He will be out of pocket abt, ^2000.— 

* Sir Richard Colt Hoare. See Vol. V. 
205 



206 The Farington Diary [I810 

Best Educated Artist 

We talked of filling the vacancies at the Royal Academy. He said 
Ward, and Wilkie, would be elected, & He thought Westmacott would 
also succeed. I told him that the Academy in my opinion, ought to 
elect Ward & Wilkie, and Robert Smirke, who I said was the best edu- 
cated artist in His line, that this country had produced, & that His 
talents had been sufficiently proved ; That with respect to Westmacott, 
as a man, all I had seen or heard of him was in his favour, but that the 
models He had repeatedly sent to the Exhibition were in point of merit 
much below the reputation He had acquired, & that judging from them 
of his real power in the art I had felt it to be my duty to vote for others 
against Him. 

I added that He [had] strong interest in the Academy, a numerous 
list of intimate friends, who would support Him at the election, & if 
He shd. succeed I should be very easy about it, — & should make no 
exertion to prevent it, having resolved neither on this or any other occa- 
sion that I could possibly foresee to give myself trouble respecting the 
proceedings of the Academy ; that my opinion, & my vote I should give 
as might seem to me to be right, & no further should I go. 

I also remarked that there was a body of young Members who acting 
together wd. sway the Academy for a time, as others had done before 
them, and that they in their turn would be superseded by another genera- 
tion. — Upon what I said respecting Robert Smirke He said nothing that 
expressed a dissent, but seemed to signify His opinion of the probability 
of His being elected. — 

Napoleon's Appearance and Tyranny 

Westall called on me. He was lo weeks at Macclesfield during the 
autumn & in very good health, but on leaving that place in a Chaise 
caught cold in the first 20 miles & has never since been free from the 
effects of it, which, as usual, touched His lungs & made abstinence 
in living necessary. — He told me Calcott had painted two large pictures 
for Mr. Chamberlain, one of them a view from a window in the House, 
a very complete subject. — He said a Son of Heath,* the Engraver, had 
lately been in Paris 3 or 4 months, having obtained a Passport from 
Buonaparte, through the interest of Sir Joseph Bankes with the French 
Institute — Young Heath has been brought up to the law, to be a Council. 
His object in going to Paris was to collect materials for pubhshing an 
account of that City similar to those given of London. He went to Paris 
with sentiments favorable to Buonaparte, but is returned with a totally 
different opinion of him. He saw the effects of His tyranny which is 
great beyond all former example. The Parisian people, & throughout 
France, are kept in a state of ignorance of all poHtical proceedings abroad, 
& in subjection scarcely credible. 

George Heath. See Vol. I.3 page 2i6n. 



1810] Fouche Deposed 207 

He is universally detested, & nothing preserves him but the appre- 
hension of a revolutionary war among his generals in case of his death. 
Heath, saw him many times, & describes him to be a little fat man, 
with what is called a Pot-belly, — with a sallow, greasy looking countenance 
like that of a butcher. His eye was always playing about with a look 
of jealousy, notwithstanding the Moniteur [an official newspaper] reports 
of his popularity, the truth is it is quite otherwise. When He goes to 
the Opera or to the Play House, the mass of the people are quite silent, 
not noticing him, but a few persons like those described in the Play 
of Richard the 3d. make in a corner a slight clamour of applause. 

When He passes through the streets He is equally unnoticed. During 
His contest with the Emperor of Austria, the Parisians took part with 
Austria, & when it was reported that Buonaparte had been defeated 
at the Battle of Wagram, the People of Paris rejoiced so universally 
that Fouche* then the Head of the Police, durst not attempt to fix 
upon any body for so doing. This He afterwards communicated to 
Buonaparte, and His frankness on this occasion has been supposed 
to be one cause of His removal from the office of Police. — Heath, says, 
it is impossible for things to go on long as they now do. When He was 
desirous to leave Paris, He applied to Denon,f who is at the head of 
the department of the arts, and to whom Sir Joseph Bankes had written, 
to obtain a Passport. Six weeks elapsed before He could get one, which 
much alarmed him. Denon told him that application had been made 
to Buonaparte for a passport, and the paper was laid upon His table, 
but that nothing more could be done ; that there was not a man in France 
who would address him to sign it, & it must be left to himself to take 
it up & sign whenever He might be disposed to do it. At last it came & 
Heath got out of France with due expedition. — He said that Buonaparte 
has in reality no Ministers, He himself, does all the business of importance. 

The Empress Plain in Person 

An Editor of a newspaper told Heath that formerly it cost him money 
to obtain matter to fill His newspaper, but it is no longer an expence to 
him in this respect, as He publishes but what comes to him from the 
government offices stated in the way Buonaparte thinks proper to exhibit 
it. — Of the Empress he said, that she is plain in her person, but is easy & 
good humoured with those about her. — I dined and was the even'g 
alone. — 

* Joseph Fouche d'Otrante. 

t Dominique Vivant Denon. See Vol. II., pages 34-5. 



CHAPTER LIX 

1810 
Zoffany's Age 

December 17. — D. Lysons called. He had been with Nollekens 
who attended Zoffany's funeral. He was buried at Kew. On the 
mourning rings His age was put 87, — but Nollekens thinks He was 93.* 
— Smirke to-day mentioned that Marchant had informed him that 
Mrs. Loyd, the female Academician, was confined to Her bed, having had 
a paralytic stroke. — 

Stokes, late partner with Messrs. Steers [stockbrokers], called upon 
me to request a Card for Carlisle's 6th. Lecture this evening at the Royal 
Academy. He told me of a private letter reed, from Lord Wellington in 
which He states that so strong is His position at Torres-Vedras near 
Lisbon that He should wish to be attacked in it by Massena with 150,000 
men. — 

A Curious Prescription 

Wm. Offley I dined with in Holies Street. They yesterday dined 
at Dr. Reynolds's in Bedford Square, & heard something of the state 
in which the King is. Though His Majesty will speak rationally. He 
makes no distinction in speaking to persons who come near, & talks 
to a servant as He would do to the Lord Chancellor. — Dr. Reynolds 
was 3 hours under examination by the Committee of the House of Com- 
mons, & was pressed with questions, particularly by Tierney, who put 
some very coarse questions to him. — In the course of the examination of 
Dr. Heberden it came out that Dr. Heberden had caused the Lord 
Chancellor to be admitted to his Majesty, He had asked the King whether 
He would wish to see the Chancellor, to which His Majesty expressed 
His assent ; & the next morning He asked for the Chancellor. The 
other Physicians did not know of Dr. Heberden having put such a question 
to His Majesty & disapproved it, but on His Majesty recollecting it they 
thought it wd. be better that the Chancellor shd. be introduced than to 
risk irritating His Majesty by a disappointment. On this coming out 
before the Committee of the Commons, 

* The biographies say that he was born in 1733. 
308 



1810] Twenty Guineas a Day 209 

Dr. Heberden was asked " Why He put such a question to His Majesty 
which led to introducing the Chancellor ? " He replied " He did [it] 
as a prescription " — meaning He did it to try the effect it wd. have on 
his Majesty's mind. The Committee were astonished at his answer, and 
it was put as a question " Whether it shd. be written down ", & it was 
resolved not to enter it on the Minutes. 

The younger daughter of Doctor Reynolds aged abt. 27 or 8, has 
been staying sometime at Bennington with Mrs. Wm. Offley. She spoke 
of Her Father being always very low spirited when ill. He shuts himself 
up, & sits by the fire like one desponding. When any of His own family 
are unwell He never prescribes for them, but sends for Dr. Ainslie* 
for that purpose ; neither does He prescribe for himself. — It is under- 
stood that the Physicians who attend his Majesty have each of them 
20 guineas a day. — 

Westall told me yesterday, That Stanier Clarke, who in conjunction 
with McArthur prepared the life of Lord Nelson for the splendid edition 
published by Cadell & Davis, was two years employed on that work, 
but though the edition was very large, there being 1500 Copies, so great 
have been the expences that He will not receive one shilling for His 
trouble. What may arise hereafter is uncertain, but He sees little reason 
to hope for profit. — 

Wordsworth's Puerile Nonsense 

December 20. — I was at home all day. — Lysons called. — He told 
[me] that while He was at Lord Chesterfield's abt. 9 miles from Sir G. 
Beaumont's at Cole-orton, the last Autumn, His Lordship spoke of the 
admiration in which Wordsworth was held at Cole-orton on acct. of 
His poetry. This induced Him to purchase the last Volume of these 
poems, which, when He asked for it, Paine, the Bookseller, was surprised, 
said He had it not, but if His Lordship was in earnest to purchase it 
He wd. get it for him. Lord Chesterfield [fifth earl] said, I gave seven 
shillings & sixpence for it, & anybody shall have it for the odd sixpence. 
He then expressed His surprise at the puerile nonsense in it, & Lysons, 
on looking into the volume was equally astonished at such stuff being 
published. — 

The Regency Bill 

[In the House of Commons, Mr. Perceval this day moved the follow- 
ing resolutions, ist. " That it is the opinion of this Committee, that His 
Majesty is prevented by His present indisposition from coming to His 

* Dr. Henry Ainslie (1760-1834) was senior wrangler in 1781, his brother Montague 
Farrer (1759-1830) being second wrangler at the same time. Henry Hved at 25, Dover 
Street, and was physician at St. Thomas's Hospital. His son Gilbert, eighth wrangler, was 
Master of Pembroke College, Cambridge, and twice Vice-Chancellor, in 1828 and 1836. 
See Vol. v., page 225. 

VOL. VI. 14 



210 The Farington Diary [I810 

Parliament, and from attending to the public business, and that the 
personal exercise of the Royal Authority is thereby for the present 
interrupted." — 

Mr. Perceval communicated to the Prince of Wales a plan of the 
measures proposed to be adopted in forming a Regency* during the 
King's indisposition, — To this the Prince returned a very concise answer, 
acknowledging Mr, Perceval's letter, His Royal Highness added, that 
as the measure of the Regency was immediately to become the subject 
of Parliamentary consideration. He did not feel himself called upon to 
anticipate the result of their deliberation ; and therefore could at that 
time, only refer Mr. Perceval to His letter of the 8th of Deer. 1788 in 
which his sentiments on the powers with which the Regent should be 
invested are explicitly declared. — Mr. Perceval's letter and the Prince's 
answer were laid by His Royal Highness before all the Royal Dukes ; 
and they immediately drew up a Protest against a restricted Regency, 
which was communicated to the Minister with the Prince's answer. — 
From small note-book.] 

[See Vols, II., III., IV., V., for references to William OfHey, wine merchant, and I., II., 
III., IV., to George Tierney, politician.] 

* The Regency Bill was passed on February 5th, 1811, and the Prince of Wales took the 
oaths as Regent. On February 20th he held his first levee and celebrated his accession to 
power by a costly entertainment at Carlton House, which is described later in the Diary. 



CHAPTER LX 

1810 

Mrs. Siddons 

December 22.— Mrs. Wm. Offley & Miss Reynolds called, in conse- 
quence of my having through Lawrence, obtained places for them for 
Covent Garden Theatre to see Kemble in Henry 8th. — Miss Reynolds 
expressed indifference abt. Mrs. Siddons, but the highest admiration of 
Kemble. She spoke of Her Father, Dr. Reynolds, who is now attending 
the King at Windsor. She said that when He was examined before a 
Committee of the House of Lords touching the King's indisposition, He 
was kept standing on his legs two Hours, which at the age of 65 or 6 
fatigued Him much. When He was examined by a Committee of the 
House of Commons, He sat, and was detained three Hours. — 

Great Boxing Match 

Robert Smirke called in the evening. He told me that on Tuesday 
morning last at 4 oClock, He set off in a Post Chaise and four with 
Lawrence to go to a place near East Grinstead [in] Sussex, 28 miles 
from London, to see the pugilistic contest between Cribb, the Champion 
of England in Boxing, and a Blackman.* The former after a contest 
of 55 minutes proved the Conqueror, but both were dreadfully beaten. 
Thousands of persons attended although there was rain throughout 
the day, and carriages of noblemen & gentlemen occupied a line of road 
beyond the reach of the eye. A large ring was formed round which 
a great number of waggons were stationed making a sort of breastwork, 
these were filled with people who stood to see the Contest. 

* Tom Molineaux, an American nigger. The fight took place on December i8th, 
but Molineaux demanded another meeting, and the return match was fought on Sep- 
tember 28th, 181 1, at Thistleton Gap, Leicestershire, where Cribb beat his opponent in 
twenty minutes, the black's jaw being fractured in the ninth round, the contest ending in 
the eleventh. Cribb received ;,^400 as his share of the " gate money," ^,^10,000 going 
to Captain Barclay, his backer. Ultimately Cribb became a publican, and at the corona- 
tion of William IV. Cribb was one of the boxers engaged to guard the entrance to West- 
minster Hall. 

VOL. VI. 211 14* 



212 The Farington Diary [I810 

The Black's Courage 

The Black exhibited extraordinary courage, but had less Science 
than Cribb. The latter was the favorite with the mass of people, who upon 
every successful hit made by him gave shouts of applause. The Black, 
on the contrary, had little encouragement of this kind. Half a minute 
was all the time allowed between what is called each set-too. The Black 
was said to have bad seconds. — After rising at 4 oClock, & passing much 
of the day sheltered only under umbrellas, under unremitting rain, 
and owing to every Inn upon the road being crowded with people, scarcely 
able to procure any refreshment, they returned home between Eleven 
and twelve oClock at night ; both, however, happily escaped colds, which 
might reasonably have been expected. Mr. West, He told me, was to 
have gone with them, supposing the distance wd. not have been more than 
18 miles. This intention at 72 was bold enough. — 

An Architect's Percentage 

He spoke to me abt. making out His account for His designing & 
superintending the finishing Mr. Burrough's House at Offley place. He 
sd. He shd. only charge the usual per centage of Architects on the 
money which had actually been expended viz : abt. £9000, & shd. not 
take into the acct. what He might do, the expence of such a building 
if all the materials were to be bought, which, here was not the case much 
of the old House having been brought into use. For his travelHng 
expences He proposed to charge ,^50. — He told me he had heard that 
William Daniell, was assured of having more votes at the next election 
of Academicians than He (R. Smirke) wd. have. 

Jealous of Bone 

Bone called this morning to express His hope that He shd. not be 
passed by at the next election of Academicians, — He said He knew 
that Hoppner had been an opponent to His being elected ; also that 
Cosway was adverse to it, both of whom. He beheved, were instigated 
to it, by their jealousy of His being much patronised by the Prince of 
Wales. He said the objection to him had been that He did not paint 
original pictures, but was employed as a Copyist in enamel ; but that 
the Exhibition Catalogues wd. shew that for a great number of years 
He painted Miniatures from the life, & that He had afterwards devoted 
his time to Enamel painting in which He had made greater improvements 
than had before been made. I told him it was well known that I had 
always been [an] advocate for his claim to be an Academician as a reward 
for what He had done.— He said He should apply to all the Academicians, 
who. He had to remark, seemed rather to shun His House, for scarcely 
any of them ever called upon him. I recommended to him, shd. He apply, 
to do it personally & not by letter, as He wd. be then better able to judge 
of the disposition towards him.— r 1 1 ■ j 

He spoke of the Prince of Wales with great respect, & of the kind 



1810] 



A Great Failure 218 



manner in which His Royal Highness always receives Him ; adding, 
" Were I a rich man I wd. rather work for the Prince for nothing than 
for many others for money." — He said the Prince has Sixteen pictures 
of His painting in one room, besides others. — 

December 23. — [Lestock] Wilson being one of the Trustees for the 
Bankruptcy of the House of Devaynes, Noble, & Dawe, Bankers, in 
Pallmall, spoke of that concern. He sd. they would not pay 20 shillings 
in the pound so that there would not be a shilling left for any of the 
partners, but that part only of Devaynes, now deceased, was in the 
House, & that £800 a year having been settled on the wife of Noble 
that annuity will be allowed to him, for which He is to assist in settling 
the affairs of the House. Dawe will have nothing. He has a family, — 
children grown up. After the death of Old Devaynes, Dawe was desirous 
that Pascoe Grenfell,* Member for Marlow, a great Copper merchant, 
& Dawe's intimate friend, should become a partner in the Banking House. 

Grenfell expressed willingness but would do it only upon condition 
of previously seeing their books. Noble was adverse to the whole of this 
proposal, but Dawe carried his point. — Grenfell saw the books, & declined 
becoming a partner. He had some connexion or understanding with 
Banks at Chester, Carnarvon, & Warrington, which Banks had large 
balances at the Devaynes Banking House amounting to more than 
^126,000, but so it was that after this inspection the whole of these 
Balances were drawn out of the House, & when the Bankruptcy was 
declared there was not a shilling of the property of the aforesaid Banks 
in the House. — The cause of the failure of Devaynes & Co. was their 
having given credit to a vast amount one House in particular, Williams 
& Co. of Liverpool ; their business had been carried on carelessly in this 
respect, large sums having been lent with little or no regard to security. 
Noble has apologised for this imprudent conduct by saying that He 
was so much occupied by the passing business of the day He had no 
time to reflect upon their proceedings in this respect. — Dawe appears to 
have been a voluptuary, who indulged himself in gratifying his desire 
for pleasure & paid little attention to business. In addition to his loss 
as a partner. He is indebted to the House to the amount of several 
thousand pounds. Wilson, & the other Trustees, meet regularly twice 
a week, to investigate & proceed in settling the affairs of this Bankruptcy. 

Paper Credit 

I spoke to him of the effect of the very great number of Bankruptcies 
which have of late been published. He said it was the consequence 
of a great number of persons who had by paper credit, lived expensively 
witht. having real property, & that probably what has happened may do 
good, in weeding commerce of this description of persons. — 

* Pascoe Grenfell, M.P, See Vol. III., page 102, and Vol. IV. 



CHAPTER LXI 

1810 

Lord Thanet and Sir John Leicester 

December 24. — Northcote I called on & met Mr, Parker of [Brows- 
holme] there, who Northcote told me proposes to live in London, finding 
that in the country He cannot have the society He wishes for, & feels 
other objections. — We talked of the ensuing Elections at the Academy, 
He sd. He was unfixed abt, them, but that He would vote for Robert 
Smirke. — He had a portrait of Lord Thanet* on His easel & mentioned 
that a Lady, a foreigner, to whom He is not married, lives with His Lord- 
ship who calls Her Lady Thanet & requires that those about him shd, 
give Her the same title, — 

He spoke of Sir John Leicester,t and of His marriage with Miss Cottin, 
daugr. of Col, Cottin, of Hampton Court by His wife, who was Miss Char- 
lotte Chambers, a daughter of Sir WilHam Chambers, Architect. Miss 
Cottin was only 17 when married a short time since, while Sir John 
is approaching His 50th year. Previous to His marriage He parted from 
Miss Sinclair, who had lived with him several years, & He settled £700 
a year upon Her. — When Sir John came to His estate it was reckoned 
[to be worth] ,^12000 a year & it was entailed, but by an agreement with 

* Thomas Sackville, ninth Earl of Thanet. In William Windham's " Diary " there 
is a letter dated " Paris, 15th Sept., 1791," In which we read : Thanet has arrived here 
" with a Hungarian lady whom, as a brilliant achievement, he carried off from her husband 
at Vienna." Her name was Anne Charlotte de Bojanowitz, and Thanet married her under 
the Anglican rite at St. George's, Hanover Square, in February, 181 1, two months after 
Farington's entry. 

After the trial of Arthur O'Connor, the revolutionary, Thanet and others were charged 
with attempting to rescue him. The case was tried before Lord Kenyon, and Sir John 
Scott (Lord Eldon) prosecuted, and Erskine appeared for the defence. Sheridan gave 
evidence for the accused. Thanet, however, was found guilty, and on June loth, 1798, 
he was sentenced to a year's imprisonment, says the D.N.B., and a fine of ^1,000. In 
addition he was ordered to find security for his good behaviour for seven years in sureties 
amounting to ,^20,000. Thanet died at Chalons on January 24th, 1825. 

t Sir John Fleming Leicester, fifth Baronet and first Baron de Tabley (1762-1827), 
married on November loth, i8io,Georgina Maria, youngest daughter of Lieutenant-Colonel 
Cottin, the male representative of the old family of the Marquis de La Fontaine St, Quintin, 
France. See Vols. II., III., IV., V. 

214 



1810] 



Dance and the Columbine 215 



his two younger Brothers, He cut off the entail, & can now dispose of it 
as He pleases. — Owen is at present His favorite painter, & is gone to 
Tabley in Cheshire to paint a whole length portrait of Lady Leicester. — 

Smirke called in the evening. He spoke of Dance having been lately 
twice to Canterbury to see a theatrical performance in which his Son, 
Captn. Dance, made a distinguished figure in one of the characters. The 
last time Dance went He took Bannister, the actor, with him. He 
mentioned the unhappy connexion which Captn Dance formed 3 or 4 
years ago, an arrangement was made by which He was to pay 60 guineas 
a year, but she has lately incurred debts, for one of which a trial in West- 
minster Hall is expected, as He refuses payment. She was a Colombine 
at Astley's Theatre. General Beresford has written to Captn, Dance 
offering him a Majority in a Portuguese Regiment, which He means to 
accept. 

A Dreadful Whirlwind 

[Letters from Smyrna mention [says the Morning Post], that one of 
the Western Caravans, in passing through the desarts of Syria in Sep- 
tember last, was overtaken near the Karteron mountains by a dreadful 
whirlwind, which putting in motion the sandy soil, rolled it along like the 
waves of the Sea. The Caravan consisted of near Eight hundred persons, 
comprising merchants, pilgrims, &c., who were, with their camels, spread 
along a line of nearly three miles in extent. To this fortunate circum- 
stance the preservation of the advanced guard is attributed, which 
obtained shelter on the Southern side of the mountainous chain of Kar- 
teron, while the remainder of the Caravan, Six hundred & fifty souls, 
were buried beneath the sandy mass. 

On Tuesday night the i8th inst. the Nymphe frigate, Captn. Clay, 
36 guns, & the Pallas frigate 32 guns the Hon. Captn. Cadogan, returning 
from a Cruise in the North Seas, at | past 10 at night, when at the rate 
of ID knots an hour, they both ran aground on the rocks, the former near 
Skateraw, 4 miles from Dunbar, the latter at the Vault, i mile from Dun- 
bar, Seven or Eight men lost their lives. Although they had a Pilot on 
board they mistook a lime-kiln burning at Broxmouth, for the Isle of 
May light, and the May for the Bell-rock — -From small note-book.] 

The Sacrament 

December 25. — Christmas Day. — I went to St. James's Chapel, 
where Mr. Steevens delivered a very impressive Sermon urging the 
necessity of attending the Sacrament. The effect of it was manifest in 
the extraordinary and increased number of Communicants of both Sexes 
who remained to perform this sacred duty. The Service was not over 
till past two oClock. — 

J. Offley's I dined at. Miss Rawlinson told me Her Father was 
member for Liverpool, elected in 1784. She said Her eldest Sister married 
the second Son of the late Mr. Fleetwood Hesketh, of Rosshall, in 



216 The Farington Diary [I810 

Lancashire that He was intended for the Church, & livings were held for 
him. That having, when young, been engaged as Second in a Duel, Dr. 
Cleaver, the Master of Brazen-Nose College, & late Bishop of Chester, but 
now Bishop of St. Asaph, refused, while Bishop of Chester, to ordain him, 
but upon condition that He would take a curacy at Chester for twelve 
months as a probationary trial of Him. — This He refused, and afterwards 
went to Durham, where Bishop Thurlow, after His residing a certain time, 
wd. have ordained him, but the Bishop died before the time expired, & 
Mr. Hesketh then sold the livings, & from that period has resided near 
Lancaster. His eldest Brother, Mr. Bold Hesketh, is not married ; is 
47 years old, & resides at Rosshall with His Sister, His companion, who 
is about 50 years old. Mr. Hesketh has travelled & has much taste for 
painting and drawings & practises in both ways. — 

The Prince and His Right 

Wm. Offley related a trait of the Prince of Wales shewing His Royal 
Highness to be jealous of all His rights which belong to Him in his high 
situation. He said he had been told Mr. Garrow, the King's Council, 
had mentioned it as having happened to himself. The Prince having 
nominated Mr. Garrow to be His Attorney General for Cornwall, Garrow, 
who had often been with the Prince, expressed his acknowledgment by 
calling at Carleton House and leaving His Card : but it was signified to 
him that would not do ; that He must go to Carleton House full dressed, 
& make a formal acknowledgment for the favor done him. This Mr. 
Garrow did, & the Prince reed. Him and accepted His thanks ceremoni- 
ously, which being done, the Prince then said " Now Mr. Garrow we are 
friends, (meaning now we may talk with equality) but nothing that 
properly belongs to my situation shall be given up by me." 

This story perfectly agrees with what Lord Lonsdale told me of the 
Prince of Wales. He said that wherever the Prince went, and under 
all circumstances. He expects to see such preparation, & such attention 
and respect as He thinks is due to him, but that when this has been shewn. 
He dispenses with such a continuance of it as would at all affect the 
comfort of those abt. him, with whom He lives easily and pleasantly. 
It is not so with some others of the family, particularly the Duke of 
Gloucester, who subjects people where He visits, to a tedious attention 
to ceremonious personal respect to him. — 

[See previous volumes for references to Sir William Garrow, Baron of the Exchequer.] 



CHAPTER LXII 

1810 

Sweden at War with England 

December 25. — [A declaration of War by Sweden against England, 
was issued, dated Stockholm Novr. 17, 1 810. [According to the Morning 
Post\ it expressed, " Whereas, in order completely to do away the doubts 
which have been expressed concerning the situation of our kingdom 
with respect to England, and in order in a more effectual manner, to 
confirm the ties of amity & confidence that exist between us and His 
Majesty the Emperor of the French, and King of Italy, as also on our 
part to contribute to the common object of the Powers of the Continent, 
namely, the conclusion of a speedy peace we have been induced hereby 
to declare war against the United Kingdom of Great Britain & Ireland. 
We do &c. &c."— 

Robbery at St. Paul's Cathedral 

On Saturday night the 22nd. inst. or on Sunday morning [says The 
Times] St. Paul's Cathedral was robbed of the whole of the Church service 
of plate, of considerable value, viz : — 

A large waiter 128 ounces 

The back of a large Bible & Prayer book Silver 200 do. 

Four Silver Flaggons. 400 do. 

Two Silver Salvers 200 do. 

Other waiter, 2 large Silver Candlesticks. 330 do. 

Two other candlesticks. 200 do. 

Two Chalices &c. 112 do. 

Two smaller do. 3° ^^^ 



Total 1600 ounces. 
The loss was in reality 1760 ounces — the value ^2000. — From small 
note-book.] 

Art and Artists 

December 26. — Constable called. He said that through Carlisle, He 
had formed an acquaintance with Dawe, who. He found greatly devoted 
to His art, and He expected to derive advantage from Dawe's observations 

217 



218 The Farington Diary [isio 

and His practise, as His mind is not filled with those notions of His 
art which so much occupy the minds of many young men, — He spoke of 
the ensuing election at the Academy, and thought the 5 vacancies could 
scarcely be filled with Associates properly quaHfied for the situation of 
Academicians, but that Wilkie, Ward & Robert Smirke shd. of course, 
be three of the five. — He mentioned Dawe as having some hopes, & sd. 
that His claim was decidedly stronger than that of Wm. Daniell who He 
had heard had been canvassing the Members. William Daniell, said 
He, is of a school, the school of Westall which make painting rather an 
imitation of drawing than a practise of a higher kind. I mentioned Bone, 
as having been canvassing, but He seemed to think Him, as an Enamel 
painter, not elligible. In this He meant His being only a Copyist. — 

Lane called to inform me He had been asked to paint a portrait of the 
Duke of Queensberry who died on Sunday last ; said that Lawrence had 
been applied to but being much engaged He declined it, & had recom- 
mended Him (Lane) ; but as only this day & tomorrow could be allowed, 
as the Coffin was to be soldered up at night. He feared the time wd. be 
too short, & He wished to know my opinion. — I recommended to him to 
undertake it. — 

Off With the Old Love 

I had a party to dinner. Lawrence told me the application to him to 
paint a portrait of the Duke of Queensberry came from Mr. Douglas, 
a relation of the Duke, who had lived with him some years, and to whom 
He has left his pictures. He shewed me the letter written by Mr. Douglas. 
— He told me Owen went down to Tabley, in Cheshire, Sir John Leicester's, 
to take down and pack up several whole length portraits of Miss Sinclair, 
previous to Sir John & the young Lady He has lately married going 
there. These portraits were taken down & rolled up together. 

I spoke to Lawrence abt. taking prudent measures in case of the death 
of the King, who on Sunday morning last was in great danger, to secure 
a continuance of His situation of Principal Portrait Painter to the King. — 

The Invincible English 

[At a Sitting of the Spanish Cortes, Novr. 19th. last [says a newspaper] 
Senor Perez de Castro, spoke an eloquent eulogium on the King of Great 
Britain & Ireland, and the British nation, acknowledging the great 
benefits & assistance derived from that country, & He concluded by 
moving a decree " that a pubHck monument shall be erected to George 3d. 
in testimony of the national gratitude which the Spanish nation feels 
for a Sovereign august & generous, as well as for the Invincible EngHsh 
nation, which have taken so great an interest in the glorious defense 
of the Spanish nation." — The decree was carried by acclamation, & by 
the most affecting demonstrations of applause. — From small note- 
book.] 



1810] 



Air of Hauteur 219 



December 28. — Philips called and we had a long conversation. We 

talked of adding the rooms occupied by the Secretary to those which were 
appropriated to the Exhibition. He sd. Wyatt had been consulted upon 
it and said it might easily be done ; in which case, should that part of 
the late Hawker's & pedlar's office not be obtained for the Royal Academy, 
a compensation should be made to the Secretary in lieu of a residence 
within the walls of the Academy. — We talked of Howard succeeding 
Richards as Secretary. I said I had no other doubt abt. Howard, but 
that which arose from the dryness of his manner, wearing an air of hauteur, 
which might become very unpleasant as He advances in life, in a situa- 
tion, that of Secretary, which requires a person of easy, obliging manners 
to make the officer agreeable to the members. He acknowledged there 
was some conceit in Howard, but sd. that He has a very good understand- 
ing & good principles, & in reality obliging manners, which secure the 
Academy against a continuance of the rudeness which had been ex- 
perienced from Richards. 

The Prince Capricious 

We conversed upon the situation of the Academy which cannot now 
obtain the Royal signature, on account of the King's indisposition. This 
led to speaking of the Prince of Wales, who, I said, from His having 
accepted the Presidency of the British Institution to succeed the late 
Earl of Dartmouth, seemed to have a desire to interest himself in favour 
of the arts. To this He replied " That with him it went for little ; He 
founded no strong hope upon it. The Prince, said He, is influenced by 
caprice, and has no steadiness ; I have seen something of him. He has 
the power of giving a proper answer to whoever addresses him upon any 
subject, but nothing fixes him. The person who last spoke to him makes 
an apparant impression, but it is gone when another person or subject 
comes before him, & His Taylor, or Bootmaker will occupy his mind to 
the doing away [of] any other consideration to which His attention might 
before have been drawn." — 



CHAPTER LXIII 

1810-1811 

Weight of Sustenance 

December 29. — Being indisposed I remained at home all day. [Dr.] 
Hayes came & gave me medicines. We talked of eating and digestion, 
& He remarked that few people are conscious of the weight of sustenance 
which they take in the course of 24 Hours. He said that a little time ago, 
He ascertained the weight of what He eat & drank in 24 Hours, living 
in His usual manner. He weighed His tea & all other liquid & everything 
He ate. It amounted together to Six pounds and a quarter. — 

Smirke spoke of a Professor of Anatomy, & said He had very little 
common sense ; that He had acuteness, and ambition, to distinguish 
himself, but held ridiculous notions, affecting singularity, and was 
influenced by vanity & self conceit, to do many improper things unplea- 
sant in Society. To this He added, " He is a man in whose judgment 
I would not confide, in any case that should affect the health of myself 
or any of my friends. — " 

Yenn [R.A. Treasurer], on Friday night, shewed me a letter from this 
Professor, requesting payment for His Lectures though the last had been 
but just before given. For this application He assigned this reason, 
" that as the year had nearly expired He was desirous to collect what 
Was due to him in order to keep unmixed the accounts of this year with 
those of the next." Yenn smiled at His apology, — so destitute of candour, 
& ridiculous in itself. — 

A Black Model 

December 31. — Dawe called to inform me He proposed to send 
His picture of the " Black conquering the Bull " to the British In- 
stitution on Saturday next, to [compete] for the Premium offered by 
that Society for the encouragement of Historical painting. The Pre- 
mium is ^200. He said, that He had supported the Black who stood 
for him as a model, & had been at considerable expence on this acct. 
Besides paying for His board He had given Him money to the amount 
of Thirty two Guineas. — 

220 



1811] The Regent 221 

[This day in the House of Commons Mr. Perceval moved " That 
it is expedient that His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales shall be 
empowered to exercise & administer the Royal Authority in the name 
& on behalf of His Majesty, under the style and title of Regent of the 
Kingdom ; subject to such limitations and exceptions as shall be provided^ 

On Wednesday night, Deer. 19, His Majesty's Sloop Satellite of 16 
guns, was lost in the Channel in a tempestuous gale of wind. The Honble 
Willoughby Bertie, Son of the late Earl of Abingdon, Commander of 
the Ship and all the Crew perished. He married Miss Fisher, of the 
Plymouth Theatre. — From small note-book,] 



1811 

Soult Driven from Oporto 

January 2. — J. Ofhey's I dined at. — Charles Webber told me that 
He quitted Oporto two days before Marshal Soult* entered it with the 
French Army. He went to Lisbon, & at the end of 6 weeks returned 
to Oporto, Lord Wellington having driven Soult from that place. He 
said Soult was much liked at Oporto, & had he remained there wd. 
have been very popular with the higher ranks of people at Oporto. 
He attended Mass twice a day.— Of the people of Portugal He sd. the 
great body of the people are fully disposed to oppose the French, but the 
nobility & the higher orders generally are inclined to them, are wholly 
destitute of any principle of patriotism. He gave a sad description of 
the roads in Portugal. The road from Oporto to Lisbon as far as Coimbra 
is wretchedly bad, such as a carriage cannot pass. Mules are used, 
and an active man can travel from Oporto to Lisbon abt. 170 miles in 
four days ; but it commonly takes 7 days. The accommodations on 
the road are miserable. — 

Demands on Publishers 

January 3. — Davis informed me that He called upon [me] in conse- 
quence of having reed, a letter from Mr. Smirke respecting an agreement 
for the payment of the pictures of Don Quixotte. He said Mr. Smirke 
had stated that 9 pictures were finished and that these at 30 guineas each, 
for the use of them to have them engraved would amount to [,^283.10.0] 
and proposed that {100. shd. be paid Jany. 15th. ^100 Jany. 31st. & 
[^83.10.0] Feb. 15th. This He (Davis) sd. was coming upon [them] 
unexpectedly for a large sum at a Season when many demands were 
upon them. He then said the situation of Mr. Cadell & himself, was one 
of risque with respect to this work, as shd. Mr. Smirke die before the 
pictures are completed the work would be an imperfect thing upon their 

* See Index, Vol. V. 



222 The Farington Diary [18H 

hands, that it might be a long time before 40 pictures the number required 
for the 4 vols, of Don Quixotte would be finished : further that the whole 
expence of what they shd. have to advance would be great, as they might 
expect that the engravers would charge 40 guineas for each plate. 

There Must be Risk 

I answered Him first by saying that I strongly recommended to Mr. 
Smirke to make His proposals for payment in August last, but that 
even now, I was well convinced that the payments might be made at 
periods convenient to them. That there must be some risks run when- 
ever a work depending upon the life of an individual should be under- 
taken, but that they had all the security they could have in Mr, Smirke's 
good health and temperate habits. — I then said their risque would not be 
extended to any great lengths of time, as from what Mr. Smirke had 
already done, having finished 9 pictures & forwarded others, they must 
see that it is probable the whole number (40) will be completed in less 
than two years. These considerations had their effect and He left me 
meaning to call on Smirke. Before He went He spoke of the bad state 
of trade and commerce and of the scarcity of money. — 

PhiHps spoke of Fuseli & said He is the most insolent man in the 
world, yet upon being steadily fronted, very timid. — He complained 
also of His rapacity to get what He could. — 

Hagley 

January 5. — Bigg called. He told me that during the last summer 
and autumn He had been 12 weeks at Hagley,* Lord Lyttlcton's to 
clean the family pictures, which with some others, amounted to upwards 
of 150. Bigg took His wife with him, and Lord Lyttleton accomodated 
him with a House in the village of Hagley & supplied His table with every- 
thing, & when He came away made Him a liberal payment for His trouble. 
His Lordship has recovered from the unhappy state of temporary insanity 
in which He was for a considerable time at Blackheath under the care 
of Doctor Monro. He is now well & manages all His affairs with great 
regularity. He is 45 or 6 years old, & a Bachelor. He is very nervous, 
& of a retired disposition, but has everything in great order abt. Him. 
His great pleasure is in improving His House & grounds. He has read 
a great deal, & has very good judgment when He speaks upon any sub- 
ject. — Bigg mentioned the approaching Academy Election. I told him 
I did not yet know what the sentiments of the Members of the Academy 
are with respect to filhng th.t fifth vacancy. — 

Oldfield Bowles 
January 6. — Charles Bowles called & gave me an acct. of the death 
of my Old friend. His Father, which was occasioned by paralytic affections. 
He died witht. pain ; or consciousness of His condition. — C. Bowles 

* Hagley was partially destroyed by fire on Christmas Eve, 1925. 



1811] Oldfield Bowles 223 

told me that having his Sister's fortunes to pay, He had prudently let 
His House at North-Aston to His Brother in law Major Holbeck, and 
had taken apartments in Albany buildings, Piccadilly. He said His 
Mother & Sister are to live with Mr. & Mrs. Holbeck. He spoke of the 
happy life which his Father had passed, & thought, having died as He 
did, it must be considered a happy conclusion of it. — He mentioned His 
nephew, young Mr. Palmer of Holme Park near Reading as having been 
lately entered of Trinity College, Cambridge, & said that when of age 
He will have 7 or ;^8ooo a year besides money. — He spoke of Sir George 
Beaumont who He said, " would feel the loss of His Father " ; but He 
added, that Sir George had acquired many new acquaintances who 
engrossed His attention. 



CHAPTER LXIV 

1811 

Sir Francis Bourgeois 

January 7. — I reed, a note from J. Taylor informing me that Sir 
Francis Bourgeois, who He saw yesterday afternoon was in a state which 
made it manifest that He wd. not long survive. Soon after 12 oClock 
I called at Sir Francis's House, and was told by the Servant " That He 
was no more." — I walked into a room in which I found a young man who 
had attended upon Him, who gave me the following particulars. — 

He said. That a mortification in Sir Francis's left foot commenced 
ten days ago, but that it was not of this that He died. The disorder 
in His left Hip & groin, was that which caused His death. This which 
was first occasioned by a fall by which He hurt His Hip, at least ten 
months ago, gradually increased, causing first uneasiness ; then pain 
& some lameness, & a wasting of the left thigh & leg, till it took another 
turn & swellings commenced ; to reduce one of which a Seton was applied, 
& from pain & exhausting his constitution by these discharges which 
took place, He was reduced to a state of such weakness that for several 
days He had been confined to His bed. He preserved His spirits and 
was chearful with those abt. Him, so that many supposed He was not 
apprehensive of the dangerous state He was in, but that was not the 
case, as He occasionally dropped expressions which shewed that He was 
sensible of His situation. Abt. 12 oClock last night He became much 
worse & fell into a state of torpor till abt. 12 oClock this morning, I, 
said my informer, raised Him up to give Him some liquid, when after 
a few other words, He said, " It is all darkness," & His head falhng back. 
He expired. — 

We were now joined by a gentleman who appeared to have been an 
intimate acquaintance of Sir Francis. He said He was with Him on Thurs- 
day last, & took leave of him for a few days informing him that He 
shd. return from the country to which He was going on Monday (this 
day) & hoped He should find him better. — Sir Francis held his hand, 
and said, " You will then either find me better, or you will find me there " 
pointing to the ground. — 

He discharged Heaviside,* the Surgeon, abt. three weeks ago. Till 

* See Vol. I. and foot-note, Vol. II., page 200. 
224 



1811] A Sixth Vacancy 225 

that period Heaviside had attended him from the commencement of His 
positive indisposition. He very incautiously then said to him " I am 
going from you to another patient to take off a leg, in which the disorder 
is exactly similar to that in yours." This imprudent speech affected 
Sir Francis so much that He would no longer allow Heaviside to attend 
him. — 

Thus, in the prime of life, fell a Man of very good dispositions, & 
much professional ingenuity, who had been lately placed in a situation 
of ample independence by His deceased Protector and friend Mr. Desen- 
fans — and by His death a Sixth vacancy has been made in the Royal 
Academy in less than twelve months, a short period, for so many to fall 
out of a number which does not exceed forty persons. — 

Turner's First Lecture 

January 8. — Bigg called & shewed me letters He had reed, from 
Lord Guilford and Lord Lyttleton, both very complimentary, & expressive 
of their approbation of His professional skill and good conduct. — Landseer 
called, and we made some arrangements respecting the Britannia Depicta. 
— He told Me Turner is desirous of having a Professorship of Landscape 
Painting established in the Royal Academy ; and to have the law which 
prevents Landscape painters from being visitors repealed. I told Him 
there was no such law. — He said He (Landseer) was at the Academy last 
night & heard Turner give His first Lecture on Perspective which, he 
Turner read too fast, & He (Landseer) being somewhat deaf. He could 
not well understand. — 

Lawrence called after I returned home & sat till a late Hour, past 
12 oClock. He had dined with Mr. Angerstein, who. He said was hurt 
by an allusion to him in Payne Knight's review of the life of Barry. 
In this passage Knight hints that some of Mr. Angerstein's pictures are 
copies. 

January 9. — Lawrence I dined with. — Lawrence mentioned that 
Mr. Angerstein told him yesterday that the Prince of Wales is supposed 
to be affected by Methodistical notions, and that Rowland Hill, the 
Methodist Preacher, has been with him a second time. — 

Cure for Whooping Cough 

January 11. — [Dr.] Hayes* spoke of two children infants, which 
He lost by Hooping Cough. He has now two young children, which were 
seized with this Cough sometime since. Hayes was under great appre- 
hension for them. He was advised to keep them in a room so guarded 
against external air as to be of an uniform temperature. He adopted 
this plan ; papered up every crevice, & every part where air could be 
admitted except one door, & by keeping up a constant fire through the 

* See Vols. II., III., IV., V. 
VOL. VI. 15 



226 The Farington Diary [I8II 

day & the night, made the temperature of the room abt. 60 by the Ther- 
mometer, The effect answered his hopes ; one child soon recovered 
and the other is nearly well. The room has been kept in this state abt. 
six weeks. 

Home Tooke 

Hayes spoke of Home Tooke* who, He said, is now bed-ridden ; also 
of a work He has been preparing for publication, " On the structure of 
Language" which in knowledge of the subject rises far beyond Johnson, 
in His Dictionary, and all other works of the kind. Tooke speaks of 
Johnson's Dictionary as being very defEcient, & as bearing the marks 
of being the production of an indolent man. — Johnson's preface He, 
However, speaks highly of & says He never could read the conclusion 
of it without tears. — 

* See Vols. I., II., IV., V. 



CHAPTER LXV 

1811 
Art in Liverpool 

January 12. — Gandy called to speak abt. the Academy Election. 
He sd. He had been settled at Liverpool one year & a Half, and had 
been well employed, having built much there, and a House near Winder- 
mere for Mr. Bolton. He said that in consequence of Harrison having 
neglected the works carrying on at Lancaster Castle, He (Gandy) was 
employed there 12 years ago, & continues to be employed. He now 
proposes to reside in London. 

He said that whilst He was at Liverpool He called the artists who are 
there together, & proposed to them to open an Exhibition in that town, 
which had been done, and the profits were sufficient to defray the ex- 
pences and to leave a surplus of ^200. — Mr. Blundell of Ince,* near 
Liverpool who died lately left them ^1600 to form a fund for supporting 
their Exhibition. Several pictures painted by Artists at Liverpool 
were sold, but He believed not any of those which were sent from London 
though the number was considerable. — He mentioned Williamsonf a 
young landscape painter aged 18 or 20 who has many commissions, and 
is superior to Burn's, another landscape painter. — He spoke handsomely 
of Robt. Smirke's design of Covent Garden Theatre. — 

* Henry Blundell (1724-18 10), of Ince-Blundell, in Lancashire, ranks with the great 
connoisseurs of the second half of the Eighteenth Century. The gem of his collection 
was Van Eyck's small upright panel, representing the " Virgin and Child," which was 
purchased by Mr. Frank Rinder on behalf of the Felton Trustees for the National Gallery, 
Melbourne. In 1810 the leading artists of Liverpool met, and resolved to incorporate 
themselves on the lines of the Royal Academy of Arts. Henry Blundell became the first 
patron, and, as Gandy states, left ;^i,6oo to help them to achieve this purpose. 

t Samuel Williamson, younger son of John Williamson, a successful portrait painter, 
was born in Liverpool in 1792. A landscape painter of considerable importance, his style 
was influenced by a study of Berchem. He was elected an Associate of the Liverpool 
Academy on its formation in 18 10, and a full member in the following year. His work 
is represented in the Liverpool Permanent Collection by two landscapes and one marine 
subject. He died June 7th, 1840. 

VOL. VL 227 15* 



228 The Farington Diary [I8ii 

Kemble and Sir Francis Bourgeois 

I had company to dinner. We had much conversation abt. Sir 
Francis Bourgeois, — His death & His Will. Taylor said He was at 
His House on the Sunday even'g before He died (6th. inst.) abt. 5 oClock 
in the afternoon. He found Kemble, the actor, there, who being very 
intimate with Sir Francis Dr. Pemberton had desired Him to use His 
influence with Him to induce Him to take medicines, which for some 
time He had refused to do. Kemble told Taylor that He would also 
apprise Sir Francis of the danger of His situation that being aware of it 
He might make such provisions as He thought proper previous to His 
death. — Kemble accordingly went to Him & remained with [him] alone 
sometime, and on returning from Him told Taylor that He had prevailed 
upon Him to take a medicine, but could not express to him the danger 
of His situation, adding, " it must take its course." 

Taylor then went to Him, and was alone with Him, Sir Francis 
desiring Mr. Bent, the apothecary to retire. He then said to Taylor 
" What can I do for your little Boy ? " Taylor modestly waived the 
subject, & told Him that He had the day before dined at Mr. Farington's 
(my House) with Northcote, & that we had expressed much regard for 
Him, with which He seemed pleased and expressed a desire to see us. 
He then repeated His question " What can I do for your little Boy ? " 
Taylor expressed thanks for His kind remembrance of the Child, but again 
waived the subject by saying. When you are better you can then do 
what you please, but at present keep your mind easy, or to that effect. 
Sir Francis by this time became rather faint, & Taylor rang for the apothe- 
cary & taking leave of Sir Francis came away. — Kemble had before 
said to Taylor " Sir Francis is dead. He is gone, He has only His breath 
remaining," meaning that He was beyond any hope of recovery. — 

Sir John and Lady Leicester 

Owen spoke of His having been at Sir John Leicester's at Tabley in 
Cheshire, where He had begun to paint a whole length picture of Lady 
Leicester. Sir John is abt. 50 years old ; she is not quite seventeen. 
He had not consented to receive company, — the neighbouring gentry, 
who offered to visit them, but put them off with excuses, — & He lives 
as before He was married on His old plan, having only changed His 
Mistress for a wife. — 

Philips sd. that a few years ago when He was at Lord Boringdon's,* 
at Saltram, there being then only His Lordship & His first wife (Lady 
Sarah Fane) at Saltram, Lord & Lady Grenville came there on their 
way from Cornwall. This small party being at dinner together. Philips 
remarked that Lord Grenville, who sat at the right hand of Lady Boring- 
don never once spoke to her, and, indeed, sd. Httle to anybody. He & 
Lady Grenville went away the next morning, and Lady Boringdon 
expressed Her displeasure at His behaviour to Her. 

* See Vol. V. 



1811] 



Each Man for Himself 229 



January 14. — Howard called, as He said, to speak to me abt. re- 
muneration to the Secretary, who by a vote of the Council, could not 
occupy the rooms in the Academy hitherto used by the Secretary, as 
they are to be converted into Exhibition rooms. — I told Him the late 
Secretaries, Newton & Richards, held those rooms by permission & not 
by right, — that it would be desireable to obtain the apartments formerly 
used as the Hawker's & Pedlars Office, which might probably be had on 
proper application, — & that in any case, it would be proper for the 
Academy to consider what Income for all purposes could with any view 
to proper oeconomy be allowed for the Secretary duly estimating the 
duties He has to perform. — I told Him that in my opinion there had been 
of late a want of proper consideration for the Academy, & that there 
had been too much a desire to obtain what each man could get, very 
different from the practise of former members. — Our conversation 
concluded with my particularly urging the prudence of settling all that 
relates to the office of Secretary before the vacancy made by the death 
of Richards is filled. I added that He (Howard) would have no compe- 
titor for the Office. — 

Westmacott's Horse 

He fully agreed with me in thinking the models sent by Westmacott 
to the Academy Exhibitions very poor performances, & asked me if I 
had seen Genl. Abercrombie's monument in St. Paul's, executed by 
Westmacott, & remarked that the Horse was such a thing as was hardly 
ever seen. — Notwithstanding the objection to Westmacott on a pro- 
fessional account. He believed His acquaintance with members of the 
Academy was such as to ensure His election. — 



CHAPTER LXVI 

1811 

A Devonshire Artist 

January 14. — Brockedon,* a young man, a native of Totness in 
Devonshire, called upon me & brought letters of introduction from Sir 
John Carr, and from Mr. Perrin, of the Dockyard, Plymouth. He told 
me His Father was a watch-maker at Totness, in which business the 
family had long been estabhshed there. This young man having shown 
some marks of talent for drawing He was encouraged by Mr. Champer- 
nownef & Mr. Froude,^; to become a student in painting & to make 
it His profession. 

He accordingly came to London more than a year ago, & some time 
smce was admitted a Probationary Student in the Royal Academy. 
He spoke of His great appHcation, saying that He rises every morning 
by 4 or 5 oClock, and applies throughout the day. He goes to bed 
soon after coming from the Academy & allows himself Six Hours & a 
Half for nightly rest. — He said His object is Historical painting, for which 
He is preparing himself by all the means in His power. — I encouraged 
him to continue His application, which having a very strong constitution 
He wd. be enabled to do. — 

Turner and James Ward 

At 8 oClock, the Members of Council went to Turner's Lecture on 
Perspective, which, Rossi sd. He got through with much hesitation & 
difficulty. — Nollekens, Rossi & Turner came away together in a Coach, 

* William Brockedon, born at Totnes, Devonshire, in 1787, became a student at the 
R.A. in 1809, and in 181 5 went to Paris. Shortly after his return he painted " Christ 
raising the Widow's Son," for which he was awarded a prize of one hundred guineas by the 
British Institution. While in Rome in 1822 he painted " The Vision of the Chariots to 
Zechariah," which, by the Pope's permission, was exhibited in the Pantheon. He was a 
Fellow of the Royal Society, and a member of the Academies of Rome and Florence. His 
self-portrait, painted in 1821, is in the UfHzi, and he is represented at South Kensington 
Museum by " A View of Laodicea." 

t A well-known art collector. See Vol. I., pages 93 and 283. 

X Father of James Anthony Froude, the historian. 

230 



1811] Constable's Uncle 281 

& on their way talked of the ensuing election. Turner seemed to be in- 
clined to Westmacott, Rossi told Him that shd. Bigg & Westmacott 
come up together, He wd. vote for Bigg, — Nollekens declared He 
wd. also do so. — Turner objected to Reinagle as not being fixed to any 
one point in art, & expressed a similar objection to [James] Ward. — 

January 15. — Constable called to express from Mr. Watts* of Port- 
land Place, His wish to have a party at His House, as on a former oc- 
casion, — a few members of the Academy &c. — & Constable was deputed 
to propose it to me. I fixed on Friday Jany. 25th. — He told me that 
Miss Watts, the only daugr. of Mr. Watts is soon to be married to Mr. 
Russell,t son of an eminent Soap maker, who is reputed to be worth 
^500,000, — & has only one Son & one daughter. Mr. Russell is a singular 
man, in His notions & Habits, but His Son has been well educated at 
school & at Oxford. The young man happened to travel towards the 
North two or three years ago, and in Derbyshire was struck with the 
beauty of the situation of Ham, late Mr. Port's, near Ashbourn, & thought 
it to be a place where every rural comfort & pleasure might be had. 
Sometime after He saw Ham advertised for sale, & on mentioning His 
choice of that place His Father gave Him ^50,000 to purchase it which He 
did. — 

Haydon and Sir George Beaumont 

Constable spoke of Haydon, the young Artist who, sometime ago 
was most warmly patronised by Lord Mulgrave & Sir George Beaumont, 
& His praises published with never ceasing report. Now, however, 
in consequence of a dispute abt. a picture which Sir George commissioned 
him to paint, He has lost the favour of both. Lord Mulgrave has a 
picture by Haydon, " Dentatus " which was exhibited, & held up by 
Sir George & by His Lordship, as an extraordinary performance in the 
true spirit of Historical painting. Haydon being desirous to see where 
His picture was placed in Lord Mulgrave's House, called on His Lordship, 
but though He had long been received as a favorite guest, He was now 
refused admittance. He, however, not being very delicate in His feelings, 
accompanied Jackson,! another artist, to Lord Mulgrave's expecting 
by this means to make His way to him, but He failed. His Lordship 
desired Jackson to be shewn to him, but wd. not see Haydon, & it is now 
known, that the much admired picture of Dentatus, is now in its case 
placed in His Lordship's stable. 

So much for capricious patronage ; and thus was exhibited the ill 
effects of over commending which certainly made Haydon self opinionated 
& presumptuous. — I afterwards called on Haydon at His lodgings in 

* David Pike Watts, Constable's uncle. See Vols. III., IV., V. 

t Jesse Russell, M.P., who, after his marriage with Miss Watts, added her name to his 
own. The information in the above entry relating to Mr. Russell's antecedents is new, 
except the reference to his marriage to Miss Watts. 

X John Jackson, R.A. 



232 The Farington Diary [isii 

Frith St. & saw some studies of landscape, I strongly exhorted Him to 
attend to nature & not to give up His own observation & feelings to 
adopt the ideas of those who occasionally make remarks on His pictures. 

High Prices for Enamels 

Bone I called on & saw His large enamel of " Bacchus & Ariadne " 
from Titian. It was fixed in a sumptuous frame which He supposed 
wd. cost more than £100. — He told me He should not dispose of this 
enamel for less than two thousand guineas. — He sd. He had had it in 
hand three years, working upon it occasionally. He told me that for 
an enamel of a much smaller size a copy from a picture by Leonardo Da 
Vinci, Lord Suffolk paid him 600 guineas. — 

Intrigue at the R.A. 

January 17. — Rossi called & told me he shd, not go to the Queen's 
Birthday dinner, it being painful to him to meet several of the Junior 
members of the Academy who treat him with disrespect. Dawe called 
& began to speak abt. the progress He had made in the ensuing election. 
I prevented him from proceeding by telling him I cd. not hear what He 
had to say, having been informed of His having spoken to members of 
the illegality of electing Bone, as not being a painter of original pictures 
but a copyist. I remarked on the impropriety of His interfering on such 
a point, and sd. it had raised doubts in my mind respecting Him such as 
I had not before. He sd. the objection to Bone had been mentioned to 
him by a member of the Academy who had authorised him to repeat 
what He said. I told Him that whoever the member was His conduct 
was in my opinion very improper.— Dawe remained with me a con- 
siderable time & acknowledged He had been indiscreet & said He had 
acknowledged it to Bone. — 

January 18. — Collins Junr.* called. He told me the Marquiss 
of Stafford had bought one of His pictures sent to the British Institu- 
tion, — the price 80 guineas. 

* William Collins, R.A., father of Wilkie Collins, the novelist. William contributed 
four pictures to the British Institution in 1 8 1 1 . 



CHAPTER LXVII 

1811 
Lucien Buonaparte 

January 23. — Robt. Smirke I dined with. — Lysons mentioned 
several particulars which He had heard of Lucien Buonaparte & His 
family. They were much offended with the conduct of Genl. Oakes, 
the Lieut : Govr. of Malta ; but as much pleased with that of the 
Captain & Officers of the Frigate in which they came to England. They 
had a remarkably quick passage, only 12 days. Sir Joseph Banks told 
Lysons that before Lucien Buonaparte left Italy He had obtained English 
Navy Bills, to the amount of 2 million of Francs, near -^500,000 sterling. 
This property He now posesses. — 

Very Degrading 

January 25. — Drummond* called to present Himself as an Asso- 
ciate desirous of becoming an Academician. He spoke of reports being 
circulated of His having exhibited His pictures in Shop windows for 
Sale, which was very degrading. He denied having ever done so, although 
some of His pictures had been so exhibited by Asperne the Bookseller 
in Cornhill, for whom He had painted portraits for engravings to be made 
for the European Magazine. He had remonstrated to Asperne against 
it. — I told him this cd. be no objection to Him, it might happen to any 
other artist, but that I had heard of his having soon after He was elected 
an Associate at a meeting of artists, treated His election with great 
levity, & had said to some near Him that He could tell them how to 
manage the members as to obtain to be elected. He strongly denied 
it, & sd. He was the last man in the world to do it. — He spoke of His 
being much employed by people of high distinction. — 

Extraordinary Will 

Mr. David Pike Watts's I dined at. — Mr. Watts spoke of the late 
Mr. Thelussont and said that during the French Revolution very great 

* Samuel Drummond, who was elected A.R.A. in 1808. He died in 1844, without 
having been raised to full academic rank. See Index, Vols. II., IV., V. 

t George Woodford Thellusson, who died in 181 1, was the second son of Peter Thellus- 
son (1737-1797) — a descendant of a Huguenot family — who came from Paris, where he was 



234 The Farington Diary [I8II 

property came to Mr. Thelusson from France at diiferent times, mani- 
festly from various persons, who not daring to risk their names being 
known, only put marks upon the Packets, which were to be claimed 
whenever corresponding marks shd. be produced. By the Guillotine, 
or by some other means, these persons were destroyed, so that little was 
claimed. This property, however, it is supposed [He] did not think 
Himself entitled to call His own till a longer period shall have passed, 
& therefore He has removed the posession of it to a distant time to 
give claimants, if there are any, time to come forward. 

Dr. Crotch told me that the present popular Singer Madame B 
[? Bertinotti*] is much admired by the Italians, who sd. He, are the best 
judges of Italian music. He said Madame Catalanif has lost some 
of Her excellence by adopting something of Braham's manner of singing, 
she finding it to be popular here. — 

Bourgeois' Will 

January 28. — Academy, Turner's 4th. Lecture I went to. — I was in 
the Chair. Turner's lecture lasted 35 minutes. — After the lecture Owen 
told me that He had this day been informed by the Bishop of Durham, 
that Mr. West had an offer of 3000 guineas for the large picture He is 
painting intended for America. It is understood that the Marquiss 
of Stafford has made the offer. — J. Taylor was there & I walked to His 

born, to London in 1762, in which year he became a naturalised British subject. At 
first he acted as agent for Amsterdam and Paris commercial houses ; afterwards starting as 
trader, he made a vast fortune. On page 127 (Vol. II.) of the Diary there is a reference to 
the curious Will, dated April 2nd, 1796, in which he left ^^loo, 000 to his wife and children, 
and the remaining ,^600,000 was directed to accumulate during the life of his sons, their 
sons, and the offspring of a third generation existing at the time of his death, when the 
property was to be divided equally among the " eldest male lineal descendants of his three 
sons then living." If there was no heir to the estate it was to be applied to the extinction 
of the national debt. The trust, however, was limited to the life of two generations, owing 
to the fact that Thellusson had no great-grandchildren at the time of his death. The 
family failed in an attempt to set aside the will, the effect of which was considered to be a 
danger to the nation, and in 1800 an Act was passed prohibiting such absurd schemes of 
bequest. 

At the death of Charles Thellusson, the last grandson, in 1856, the estate, following a 
decision in the House of Lords in 1859, ^^^ divided between Frederick William Brook 
Thellusson, fourth Lord Rendlesham, and Charles Sabine Augustus Thellusson, Peter's 
great-grandson. Peter's eldest son, Peter Isaac (1761-1808), was raised to the IrishPeerage 
as first Baron Rendlesham. 

* Probably Terese Bertinotti, who was born at Savigliano, Piedmont, in 1776, and 
married Felice Radicati, the celebrated vioHnist and composer. She met with extraor- 
dinary success in her native land, Vienna, Munich, and Holland. Coming to London about 
1810-11, she won success at the King's Theatre in " Zaira," a " new grand serious opera," 
in which also appeared Madame Bianchi, who, as Miss Jackson, a Londoner, was married 
first to Signor Francesco Bianchi, composer of " Semiramide " and other operas, and 
(after his suicide) to John Lacy, the well-known bass singer, who died in 1865, seven years 
after the death of his wife. Madame Bertinotti-Radicati died in 1854. 

t Angelica Catalani. See Vols. IV., V. 



1811] Killed by Medicines 235 

apartments at the Sun Office where Northcote & myself sat with him & 
His sister some time. He said He had seen the Will of Sir F. Bourgeois.— 
He has left His Collection of pictures to Dulwich College, with ^10,000 
which is to form a fund for the care of the pictures. He has bequeathed 
to Mr. Allen of Dulwich College, Mr. Cory, the Chaplain of the College, 
& Mr. Greenwill, His attorney, ^1000 each, & Has made them His Exe- 
cutors. — He proposed as Mrs. Desenfans says, to have left ^19,000 
in Legacies, of which £3000 to the Apothecary who attended Him,— 
a sum to Kemble,— to Taylor, & to Lord Herbert Stuart &c. &c. but the 
codicil which was to have contained these bequests was never executed, 
so that after the death of Mrs. Desenfans who is to have the interest 
of all^ the property not specified during Her life, the whole will go to 
Dulwich College. — 

January 29. — [James] Paine* called upon me today. He told 
me the late Mr, Beaumont of Whitley in Yorkshire, my old acquaintance, 
was, in His opinion killed by medicines prescribed for Him by Dr. Latham. 
He had long been a hipped Valetudinarian, and on His coming to London 
abt. May or June last, when He seemed to be very well, but still talking 
of His health. He asked the advice of His old College Tutor, Dr. Cleaver, 
Bishop of St. Asaph, who recommended to him to consult Dr. Latham. 
He did so, & the Doctor alarmed him exceedingly, bidding Him take 
great care of Himself &c. The prescription given Him by Latham He 
carried to Mr. Simpson an apothecary who had long known His con- 
stitution. Mr. Simpson wd. not make it up, saying That it was too strong 
for His constitution & was fit only for a Drayman. — Beaumont hov/ever, 
returned to Whitley & there took the medicine, & by degrees His stomach 
became so weak from purging that for 3 weeks before He died He lived 
by suction. 

He left His estate in the hands of Trustees, for the benefit of His 
only surviving Brother John for the term of His life, then to Mrs. Barnard, 
His Sister, wife of Genl. Barnard, in case she survives John, & after 
the death of both to the Revd. Dr. Beaumont, Son of John Beaumont. — 
After the death of Mr. Beaumont Dr. Beaumont went to Whitley with 
His wife & children, to reside with His Father, but in a short time they 
quarrelled abt. something respecting the estate, & Dr. Beaumont left 
Whitley. Paine was left principal Trustee without His knowledge of it, 
& finding great difficulties before Him in consequence of the Will being 
expressed loosely. He has, to avoid involving Himself, thrown it into 
Chanceryi 

February 6. — I had company to dinner. S. Lysons spoke of the 
present Lady Berkeley, widow of the lately deceased Earl Berkeley — 

* James Paine, junior; architect and artist, was the only son of James Paine (1725- 1789), 
the eminent architect. Sir Joshua Reynolds painted the portraits of father and son in 
one picture in 1764. 



236 The Farington Diary [I8II 

formerly Mary Cole,* daugr, of a Butcher, or Cattle feeder near Gloucester. 
Abt. 3 months after the death of Lord Berkeley she had some company 
at Berkeley Castle, to whom she spoke of His Lordship, & said she could 
never prevail upon Him to think of rehgion, or to go to Church, a place 
He never would enter. — This was thought to be a singular anecdote for 
a Widow to mention of Her Husband. Her eldest Son, He who has 
assumed the title of Earl Berkeley, is at present a very dissipated young 
man, & drinks hard, a thing she detests. 

Lucien Buonaparte 

S. Lysons had conversed with Mr. Mackenzie! who went from 
Plymouth to Ludlow with Lucien Buonaparte.! The latter admired 
the country He passed through, and the Inns on the road. — Mackenzie 

* See Vol. I., page 272. 

t Mr. A. T. Butler, Editor of " Burke's Peerage," 40, Redcliffe Square, writes : Your 
extract from Farington's Diary, published in the Morning Post of September 8th, refers 
to Mackenzie, as the son of John Mackenzie. 

This last-named John Mackenzie was living at 35, Bishopsgate Street in 1799 and was 
then a freeman of the Musicians' Company of London, and was almost certainly identical 
with John Mackenzie of Torridon, who married Anne Isabella Van Dam (see " Burke's 
Peerage," 1923, page 1470). 

Mr. E. C. Mackenzie, Old Brampton Vicarage, Chesterfield, writes :_ Mr. Butler 
[Editor of " Burke's Peerage "] is mistaken when he identifies the Mr.Mackenzie who was m 
charge of Prince Lucien Bonaparte as the son of John Mackenzie of Torridon, my grand- 
father. My father (Henry), the first Bishop Suffragan of Nottingham, told me that his 
cousin, Colin Alexander Mackenzie, was the Prince's companion. Farington is right m 
speaking of his adventurous career. He joined the Russian Army as a volunteer in a Cau- 
casian campaign. Growing homesick, he tendered the resignation of his commission. The 
Grand Duke in command at first refused to accept it, but on being pressed told him that 
they were surrounded by the enemy, and that he could not possibly get through. As 
Mackenzie persisted, he gave him despatches to the Czar as an excuse for giving him an 
escort. Mackenzie got through and delivered his despatches. 

It was the first news of the Army for a long time, and the Czar was so pleased that he 
offered him an estate in Russia. This was declined ; but before he could get a ship for 
England Mackenzie met a friend, who had been fascinated with the Crimea, and at his 
request the Czar gave this friend an estate there. He called it Mackenzie Farm, and it 
was Lord Raglan's Headquarters in the Crimean War. Mackenzie entered the Secret 
Service and sent the British Government the first news of the Treaty of Tilsit. He told 
my father that he bribed the Cossack attendant of the Czar to let him take his place as his 
sole attendant on the raft in the Niemen where the arrangements were made. As he could 
speak Russian, and his features — he was extraordinarily ugly — might well be taken for those 
of a Cossack, he succeeded. 

Later he was sent by the Government to France, where a truce was proposed. He soon 
found out that all the French wanted was to gain time ; so he broke off negotiations at 
once. In the family he was always called " the Ambassador " after this, and so he is called 
in Findon's Genealogies of the Mackenzies. He was traveUing in France in 18 14 when 
the Emperor returned from Elba, and Bonaparte, who, with all his greatness, had a certain 
amount of meanness, had him treated with great severity. After the War he was British 
Consul-General at Lisbon, where my father was his guest about 1830. 

X When, owing to his marriage with Madame Joubuthon, Lucien Buonaparte (1775- 
1840) became estranged from his brother, the Emperoij he retired to his estates in Italy 



1811] Lucien Buonaparte 287 

thought Him a very sensible man, & had much conversation abt. charac- 
ters which took an active part in the French Revolution. Lucien is 
employed on a Poem, the subject, " The Restoration of Rome under 
Charlemagne," which is far advanced towards completion, & Mackenzie 
thought what He saw of it very well done. — Madame Lucien Buonaparte 
is a daughter of Monssieur Blanchard who was a Commissary at L'orient. 
She is an agreeable woman. On their arrival at Ludlow some French 
prisoners appHed to be admitted to their House to hear divine Service 
performed by the Chaplain brot. over by Lucien. She spoke to Macken- 
zie abt. it, and gave Her own opinion that circumstanced as they were 
it wd. not be proper to allow it. — Mackenzie is the Son of John Macken- 
zie, an Oilman, in Bishopsgate Street. He was lately employed at Mor- 
laix to negotiate for an exchange of prisoners. — He is abt. 30 years old, 
and has passed much time on the Continent having always had a passion 
for travelling. — 

Second Fiddle 

February 9. — Ward called, in consequence of having been told last 
night by Beechey that Wilkie wd. be the first Associate ballotted for. 
Ward sd. that being 42 years old, & an old Exhibitor, He shd. be sorry 
if made second to a much younger man, especially after having been made 
third after Wm. Daniell & Oliver. He had spoken to Thomson who 

in 1804, and refused the Crown of that country after the Peace of Tilsit. In 1810 he set 
out for America, but was captured by a British cruiser, and kept a prisoner in England until 
1814. 

On his arrival in this country the Morning Post said : 

" The determination of our Government, with respect to this Gentleman, does honour 
to its magnanimity. Let him enjoy on British ground British hospitality and British 
liberty, as far as is consistent with prudence and policy. We trust, however, that our Princes 
and Nobles will not so much forget their own dignity and rank as to associate familiarly 
with a foreigner whose riches are not acquired by honest industry, or lawful inheritance, 
but whose notoriety in society originates chiefly from the very blameable share he had in 
a guilty brother's enormous perpetrations. Let not the pages of history have reason to 
soil the memory of the Members of our Royal Family, and of our House of Lords, by 
assimulating their conduct with that of the degraded Royalty and Nobility on the Con- 
tinent. 

"His official speech, as a Minister, on the 14th July, 1800, displays his sentiments 
with regard to Great Britain. If he was then sincere, we have few more bitter enemies ; 
if insincere, what security have we for the sincerity of his present professions .? Since 
1804, all confidence has ceased between him and Napoleon, with whose spies he has been 
encompassed. These not only reported his actions, but intercepted his letters, so that he 
knows less about modern France than we do 5 thanks to the liberty of our press. He can, 
of course, have no valuable discoveries to make. Leave to our reformers the honour of 
fraternising with this once brother reformer, but let all loyal Britons treat him with a 
generous and condescending, but distant civility. 

" We are far from wishing to discourage sentiments of humanity and kindness towards 
foreigners who may be obliged, for various causes, to seek shelter in this country, yet we 
cannot but feel indignation as well as surprise, that Britons of either sex should be so anxious 
to show homage to a man who has no other claim to notice than being the brother of the 
bitterest enemy of our country, and who is the scourge and oppressor of all mankind." 



238 The Farington Diary [isii 

wishes Him first to be elected. I told Him I shd. be willing to vote for 
him in the first instance, & wd. speak to others to do so, which He sd 
would make it certain. — 

James Ward and Wine 

Ward today spoke of the effect which Wine had upon Him. A single 
glass makes him feverish, & 3 or 4 glasses causes a coldness & trembling 
in his stomach. Ale, on the contrary, exhilerates his spirits, without 
heating him. Hayes spoke of the " Eau Medicinale," the celebrated 
medicine which in gouty complaints produces extraordinary effects. 
He said it has not been yet ascertained what this medicine consists of, 
but it has no mineral in it, & its quality is of a vegetable nature. — Dr. 
Clarke informed Hayes that Sir Henry Halford had assured Him that 
He had given it in 18 instances in each of which it was successful. Hayes 
gave it to a patient lame with the gout on whom it operated so quickly 
that in three Hours He was able to run up stairs. When further ex- 
perience of it has been had Hayes thinks it may become a medicine of 
very great value ; at present, as no medicine will suit all constitutions 
objections have been made to it on acct. of unfavourable effects having 
been produced in some instances : but He observed that similar objec- 
tions might be made to that most valuable medicine Opium & to the no 
less sovereign XQm.QdiYMercury, when injudiciously given. 

A Low Branch of Art 

February 10. — Hayes called. He asked me whether I thought 
Wm. Daniell would be elected to fill the vacancy in the Academy, made 
by the death of Sir F. Bourgeois, which election will be next year ? I 
told Him I did not think He would, as the same objection which is now 
made to him wd. probably continue viz : That He is not a prominent 
character as a Painter, & that most of His time is occupied & He is most 
known as Engraver in Aqua-tinta, a low branch of that art. — 

Wm. Offiey I dined with. Miss Gregory, daughter of the late Captn. 
Gregory, of the Manship East Indiaman, by His wife, daughter of Mrs. 
Macauley the Historian* told me that after Her Father's death -which 
happened many years ago, Her mother quitted Berners street, & resided 

* Catherine Sawbridge (1731-1791) was married first to Dr. George Macaulay, a 
Scotsman, who died in 1766, leaving one daughter. In her forty-seventh year the widow 
married William Graham (when he was twenty-one), a younger brother of James Graham, 
the clever charlatan. (See note on page 56 of the first volume of the Diary.) Mrs. Macaulay 
was extraordinarily clever, and her histories, now forgotten, won high praise in their day, 
and also severe censure. Her historical works made Madame Roland desire to become 
" la Macaulay de eon pays." Her errant personal character laid her open to the jibes of 
malicious people. She was fond of dress and gaiety. Dr. Johnson said it was better that 
she should " redden her cheeks than blacken other people's character," and on her second 
return from Paris John Wilkes described her as " painted up to the eyes." Several portraits 
of her were painted by eminent artists, including Gainsborough. 



1811] 



Wilkie 239 



in a House in Hampshire, where Captn. Gregory with His family had for 
sometime lived during the Summer months. She has now taken a House 
in Upper Berkeley Street for 7 years. She said that she had three 
Brothers, — the eldest has just left Oxford, & proposes to study the Law ; 
the Second is a Captain in the King's Dragoon Guards, & had that rank 
at the age of 17, having obtained it just before the new regulations were 
passed respecting promotion in consequence of the Duke of York's 
business. The third Brother is with a private Tutor & after being at 
Oxford is intended for the Church. — 

Hayes told me today that Wilkie lodged with the Widow of a Clergy- 
man in Portland St. who speaks of Him with great respect. She informed 
Hayes that Wilkie is now at Chelsea, & is so much recovered as to be 
able (so He writes to her) to paint 4 Hours a day. — A Brother of Wilkie 
now resides with Her. He is in a mercantile line & has obtained credit 
with His employers by having recovered a ship in which they were con- 
cerned which, on some acct. had been condemned. — Wilkie is proceeding 
on His picture of " The Inn Yard," intended for Mr. Angerstein. — 

February 11. — I was at home in the morning, — & dined alone. — 
Royal Academy General Meeting I went to in the evening. — Five Acade- 
micians were elected in the room of Hoppner, Humphry, Zoffany, Rigaud 
& Richards, — [viz : Wilkie, Ward, Westmacott, Robt. Smirke, and 
Bone. — ]. Howard, was unanimously elected Secretary of the Royal 
Academy in the room of John Richards deceased. — 

February 12. — Westmacott called to make His acknowledgments 
for my good will towards him. He remarked on there being 11 votes 
against him on the 2nd Ballot & said He hoped to be able to remove any 
disposition unfavourable towards him. I told him those who voted 
for Bigg cd. have no expectation of His succeeding, but might do it to 
gratify him as having been noticed. — Robert Smirke called to express 
his satisfaction at being elected. 



Obituary 

February 13. — Robt. Smirke I dined with. Lysons spoke of the 
death of Dr. Dryander* late Librarian to Sir Joseph Banks. Home the 
Surgeon told Lysons, that He died of the Pihs, which had afflicted him 
6 months and He could not be persuaded to take proper remedies. He was 
a Swede by birth ; extremely obstinate in opinion, & a determined 
approver of the French Revolution. — The death of Dr. Maskelyne, 
King's Astronomer was spoken of. Lysons said that the Prince Regent 
having been applied to respecting filling the vacancy, had, very hand- 
somely referred it for the consideration of the President & Council of the 
Royal Society. — 

• See Vol. I 



240 The Farington Diary [I8II 

Lawrence's Mind 

February 15. — Lawrence called, & we had much conversation 
I told Lawrence that the characteristic feeling of His mind is " a love of 
point." It is His taste in conversation ; in His art ; & in His reading ; 
& that this is so prevalent as to have caused Him till He studied His art 
more deeply, to give into that metally, glittering, vicious practise which 
had been so much objected to. He allowed it, but reminded me how much 
He had for many years past strove & studied to get the better of this 
peculiarity, which I fully acknowledged, & that the great success of His 
endeavours had been manifested in his latter works. — 

I afterwards called upon him to see a small picture sd. to be by 
Rembrant, which had been much admired by Sir G. Beaumont & Payne 
Knight,* the latter having mentioned it in the Edinburgh Review in 
His Criticism of the " Life of James Barry." After having examined 
the picture I gave my opinion against it being painted by Rembrant. — 
Lawrence had been desired by Mr. Penricef of Yarmouth to look at 
this picture & two others, one by Cuyp. For, these 3 pictures, Erard, the 
Harp maker, asked 4000 guineas, which Mr. Penrice expressed His willing- 
ness to give shd. Lawrence approve the Rembrant. 

* R. Payne Knight, in referring to the picture (which he does not name), says " there 
is not, indeed, in that piece any attempt to display the naked forms of the human body ; 
but, in beauty and simplicity of composition, elegance of drapery, truth of expression, and 
grace and dignity of attitude and character, it is inferior to no work of any school of Italy ; 
and in brilliancy, richness, harmony, and unison of effect, superior to anything of any 
other artist of any country." 

t Mr. John Penrice, of Great Yarmouth, formed the " celebrated collection of pictures 
of the very highest class " (we quote from the catalogue), which was sold at Christie's in 
1844, and the 17 lots realised ^i 1,488. 

Three of the more important paintings are now in the National Gallery. These are 
" Lot and his Daughters Leaving Sodom," which fetched i,6oogs., and " Susannah and 
the Elders," bought In at googs. and sold privately to the National Gallery for i,2oogs. 
Both pictures are by Guido Renl. The third and greatest is the beautiful " Judgment of 
Paris," by Rubens, which cost the nation 4,ooogs., just double the price paid for it by 
Lord Kinnaird when he purchased it from the Orleans Collection. Mr. Penrice bought 
it for 2,5oogs. 

The Rembrandt referred to by Farington was apparently not acquired by Mr. Penrice ; 
at any rate, there is no record of It having been sold in the sale of his pictures. 



CHAPTER LXVIII 

1811 

Massena's Position 

February 15. — General Stewart, Brother to Lord Castlereagh, 
& Adjutant-General in Portugal, has lately come from thence, having 
leave of absence for 6 weeks. He sat to Lawrence yesterday. He said 
at this season in Portugal military operations are suspended from necessity 
on acct. of the weather. He spoke in good spirits ; but said That were 
He Massena, He would do nothing more than maintain a position such 
as to oblige Lord Wellington to remain at His post covering Lisbon. 
The difhculties which wd. arise from such a measure wd. be great, as 
Lisbon with its large population, & Lord Wellington's army would require 
to be supplied with provisions chiefly from or at the expence of England, 
which if long continued wd. be felt a grievous burden. He complained 
of the want of proper exertion in the Spaniards. — 

Room or Roam 

Lawrence shewed me a letter from Mr. Canning to Him on this sub- 
ject " whether the City of Rome should be pronounced Room or Roam.'' 
Mr. Canning in opposition to Kemble in Cato was of opinion that it shd. 
be pronounced Roam, & He supported His opinion with much apt 
illustration. — 

February 16. — Mrs. Edwards called. She sd. she had been unwell 
and felt desirous to make Her Will, having a niece, a very worthy young 
woman to whom she wished to leave Her property. She expressed her 
desire that I wd. inform Her how to make Her will & said she would 
show it me. She wished to dispose of Her late Brother's, " Edwards's 
Anecdotes of Painters." I recommended to Her to call upon Leigh 
& Sotheby Booksellers, & to desire them to send to me an account of 
the expences & the receipts of that publication after which I wd. give 
Her my advice respecting it. — 

Generosity and Idleness 

Wm. Wells I dined with, at His Sister's in Portugal-street. — Miss 
Wells spoke of Lord Gwydir who at His residence at Beckenham in Kent 
VOL. VI. 241 16 



242 The Farington Diary [18 ii 

gave away to the poor almost too much as it contributed to make the 
people idle. 

February 17. — [Lestock] Wilson I dined with. — The capture of the 
Island of Mauritius was spoken of, & the easy manner in which it was 
made. — Wilson sd. it was customary with East India Navigators to think 
the Island impregnable, & it was now supposed that the French Governor, 
General Decaen,* surrendered not meaning, himself, to return to France. 

Flaxman's First Lecture 

February 18. — The Academy I went to at 8 to hear Flaxman read 
His first Lecture on Sculpture. Nollekens was in the chair. This 
Lecture consisted of a statement of the progress of Sculpture in Great 
Britain from the earliest periods, & casts and drawings from remarkable 
specimens still preserved were exhibited by Flaxman in the course of His 
reading. He was desirous to show that there was always native talent 
which only required to be encouraged to arrive at high excellence. He 
spoke of Banks with great admiration as a Sculptor who in His figure of 
Achilles might be compared with any artist of any age. — He gave notice 
that having discussed this subject He should next proceed to speak of 
ancient art, & its progress in Greece, & other countries. 

Soane's Office Vacant 

Marchant & Rossi [said] that at a Council this evening before the Lec- 
ture, present Nollekens in the Chair, Copley, Yenn, Calcott, Turner, 
Marchant, Rossi & Soane, — Calcott moved " That in consequence of 
Mr. Soane, Professor of Architecture having declined proceeding with His 
Lectures when required by the Council so to do, Resolved, that the office 
of Professor of Architecture in the Royal Academy be declared vacant ; " 
— or to that effect. — Nollekens put the question, when there appeared, — 

For the Resolution. Calcott, 

Turner, 

Marchant, 

Rossi. 
Against it. Copley, 

Yenn. 

February 19. — Landseer called to speak of the late Clarendon Smith 
formerly an Engraver, & afterwards a painter in Water Colours, who died 
lately at the age of 32 or 33 of a consumption, being on His return from 
Madeira whither He had gone for the benefit of His health. He left 
a widow & a child or two, destitute, & a subscription has been proposed 
to enable Her to set up a small shop for the vending of prints, &c. — I 
took the particulars of the case to try what I could do for Her. — 

* Charles Mathieu Isidore Decaen was born at Crexelly, near Caen, in Calvados, in 
1769, and died in 1832. 



1811] A Lord of the Treasury 248 

Beechey told me that Charles Small Pybus, who died lately had 
been long troubled with complaints which were thought by Sir Henry 
Halford &c. to be in His stomach, but it proved to be in the Biliary 
ducts. — He called on Beechey on a Saturday & died on the Wednesday 
following. A gall stone burst a vessel which gave an opening for the gall 
bladder to discharge itself into the stomach, & the corrosive quality 
of its contents caused His death after much suffering. He was a Lord 
of the Treasury in Mr, Pitt's administration. Beechey sd. He was of 
an irritable temper, & was always on ill-terms with one person or other. 
He was very vain of His knowledge of pictures, but, in reality knew 
nothing abt. them. — He posessed property to the amount of abt. 
£40,000. — He was supposed to suffer much mortification from a decline 
of His political importance, as He had ceased to be of the number of those 
who were of any consideration in this respect. — 

Payne Knight Led 

Owen spoke of having met Payne Knight at dinner at Mr. Long's 
on Saturday last, where He, as usual, took the lead in conversation, & 
talked of the manner of building a Bridge witht. referring to Dance 
who was present. West said. Knight had succeeded in engrossing con- 
versation by having associated much with persons in high life whose 
studies had not been of such a kind as to enable them to contend with 
Him. — 



VOL. VI. 16* 



CHAPTER LXIX 

1811 

The Regent's First Levee 

February 27. — Lysons was at the Prince of Wales's first Levee, 
as Regent, yesterday. It was very crowded, but the arrangements 
were made with great judgment for the company to enter & go away. 
— He spoke of the very expensive manner in which the apartments are 
fitted up, — not a spot witht. some finery upon it, — gold upon gold — 
a bad taste. Smirke had seen the apartments, & sd. they are so over 
done with finery, & superfluous as, supposing the owner not to be known, 
would give an unfavourable idea of the kind of mind He must have 
who would have pleasure in such scenery. — 

Soane Capricious 

March 1. — Howard called. He spoke of the proceedings of the 
Council against Soane, whose capriciousness and perverseness was extra- 
ordinary. On Tuesday last before Mr. West confirmed the Resolution 
of Council declaring the Office of Professor [of] Architecture vacant. 
He asked Soane " Whether He would answer the question which had been 
repeatedly put to him : viz : " Whether He wd. read His Lectures or 
not," To this Soane only replied " Put the question in writing." On 
this it being seen that He was only trifling with the Council, this question 
having before been repeatedly so put to him. West signed the Minutes 
including the Resolution. — 

Mrs. Cornwall's Teeth 

Lady Gardner, Senr. I called on, & sat with Her sometime. She 
described Lord Gardner as being in very low spirits, extremely depressed, 
much of which she ascribed to the indisposition of Lady Gardner. — 
She spoke of Her son William Gardner as being of a fine temper. She 
spoke of Her daughter, Mrs. Cornwall, who, at the age of 34 has been 
cutting new teeth, which has been attended with most tormenting pain 

244 



1811] America and England 245 

long continued. — She expressed Herself highly pleased with Lawrence's 
picture of Lord Gardner and wished a print could be made from it, as 
that from Edridge's drawing could not be approved. — 

March 7.— L. Coxe's* I dined at.— Mrs. Coxe Senr. mother of L. 
Coxe gave me much information respecting America from whence she 
returned some months ago. She told me that it is now computed that 
Philadelphia contains about 100,000 inhabitants, and New York about 
90,000. There is much luxury in living among the higher people in 
Philadelphia, & much distraction in the ranks of Society ; the principal 
Houses are mostly furnished in the French taste, in a very expensive 
manner. — America, she said, is a cheap country to live in compared with 
England. One thousand a year would go as far there as ;£3000 a year 
would do in England. A Turkey may be bought in Philadelphia for half 
a dollar (2s. 3d). Beef, mutton for 6d. a pound. This proportion, 
however, does not bear out in my mind the above observation of the 
cheapness of Uving. Fruit is in abundance & very cheap. — 



Handsome Women 

The women in Philadelphia are universally handsome. Their com- 
plexions are not fair, but of a clear, brownish colour. Their persons are 
well formed, and their manners are remarkably pleasing and agreeable. 
Both in person and manner they are much above the men, who have 
not the same pleasing address, & have in their speaking a peculiar and 
what may be called " a Yanky tone of voice." It was observed by 
British Officers who were in America during the War with England, that 
the women were in all respects a century in improvement before the 
men. — She sd. there are, politically speaking, three descriptions of persons 
in America. An English Party, — a French Party, & a neutral party. 
The French party, she sd, are by far the most active ; and it is believed 
that the French Minister has at his command a large sum which He 
applies to keep up this spirit. — 

Jerome Buonaparte 

She spoke of Miss Patterson, who married Jerome Buonaparte, & 
said she remembered Her father when His situation in life was that of 
a Clerk to an Auctioneer. He had three children, two sons, and a daughter, 
and to Her He gave 50,000 dollars when she married Jerome Buonaparte. 
Since Her divorce from Him [which] took place by order of the Emperor 
Buonaparte, Jerome has returned this money to Her Father, and she has 
now a considerable annual allowance paid Her by the French Minister, 
& with the Son she had by Jerome she lives in a very handsome stile, 
and frequently receives costly presents from Jerome. — Mrs. Coxe was 

• L. Coxe was married to Farlngton's niece. 



246 The Farington Diary [isn 

in company with Her, and thought Her very pretty, and her arms are 
much admired ; but she is vain and of a weak understanding.* She 
has been disposed to marry a second time, but it was signified to Her that 
in such case Her allowance from France wd. be withdrawn. Of Jerome 
Buonaparte she sd. the opinion was, while He resided in America, that 
He was ugly in person & mean in understanding. — 

Little Piety in America 

Mrs. Coxe spoke of the newspaper called the Aurora pubHshed in 
Philadelphia, which is made up entirely under French influence and circu- 
lated very generally. From this paper the people in the Country entertain 
very false notions of the state of England. — Mrs. Coxe said — " In America 
a great change has taken place among the Quakers ; they now very 
much disregard that characteristic simphcity of manners by which they 
were formerly distinguished." She said there is Httle piety in America, 
less than in England. — 

It may be said that there are no poor people in Philadelphia. A 
Beggar is scarcely to be seen. 

Spiritualism 

Mr. Arbouin took some share in the conversation of the table. The 
appearance of persons deceased, whether probable or not as some times 
reported, was a subject of discussion. He gave his opinion for it, and 
expressed His belief in there being invisible spirits in an active state, 
for some purpose of agency under divine providence, which, whenever 
mankind shall become in a higher degree purified, will become sensibly 
known, and have occasional intercourse with living persons, as in the 
earlier periods of the world. 

A story was related by Mr. Arbouin & L. Coxe of Major Blombergh, 
an officer in the British Army. This Gentleman happened to be with 
His regiment in Jamaica, where He associated in great intimacy with 

Captain Stewart, now General Stewart, and another Officer, Capt. • 

They were accustomed to dine together on certain days in each others 
apartments. Previous to one of these dinners Major Blombergh was 
seized with the yellow fever, and on the morning of the day on which He 
\vas to have met His friends He died. 

* Lt.-Col. Patterson Barton, Haynes Farm, Partridge Green, West Sussex, writes : 
Farington was badly served by his informant who described Miss Patterson, who married 
Jerome Bonaparte, as " vain and of a weak understanding." Vanity — admitted ; but 
memoirs, biographies, etc., of the time abound in references to her brilliant intellect and 
wit — and very sharp tongue — as well as to her good looks. In " A Great Peacemaker " 
(published by William Heinemann), Albert Gallatin, United States Ambassador in Paris, 
1816 to 1823, who was an intimate friend of my kinswoman, epitomises the general opinion 
by saying that " had she met the Emperor Napoleon, and had joined forces with him, 
the fate of Europe might be quite different from what it is to-day " (1819). Madame 
de Stael extolled her " wit, beauty, and virtue." 



1811] His Step on the Stairs 24T 

Under these melancholy circumstances, however, the two surviving 
friends met, and being seated after dinner, a sound of feet as of one 
coming up stairs was heard, and Captn. Stewart said, " Did I not know 
that Major Blombergh is dead, I should say it is his step on the stairs." 
The door immediately opened, and the appearance of Major Blombergh 
was presented to them, which, advancing into the room took a seat, 
and said He had to communicate to them that He posessed an estate 
in England, but that the writings & title-deeds were in the hands of a 
Solicitor, naming Him, & were in a certain drawer which He described. 
After this communication the appearance was no more seen, or retired. 

The Solicitor's Denial 

Captn. Stewart, & His surviving friend, on their coming to England 
waited upon the Solicitor, and spoke to Him respecting this estate, which 
belonged to Major Blombergh, but found him affecting to know nothing 
about it. Upon this Captn. Stewart told Him He had the title deeds, & 
the writings in His posession & that if He did not produce them He wd. 
remain with him, whilst His friend went for the proper officers to effect 
what was necessary. On Captn. Stewart mentioning where the writings 
were deposited the Solicitor said no one could have given him those par- 
ticulars except Major Blombergh & He made no further diihculty in 
producing them. The Revd. Mr. Blombergh, who has been patronised 
by the Queen & is so by the Prince of Wales is son to Major Blombergh. — 



CHAPTER LXX 

1811 

James Ward's Recompense 

March 9. — I had company to dinner. — Lawrence mentioned that 
Mr. Lister,* eldest son of Lord Ribblesdale, a young man, 21 years of 
age, has a strong inclination to painting & very good general talents. 
He had reed, instructions from Barker of Bath, & from Reinagle. Being 
more particularly desirous to paint animals, He applied to Ward wishing 
to have access to His painting room & His instructions for two months, & 
desired to know upon what terms he might have this advantage. Law- 
rence who had been himself astonished, equally surprised us by saying 
that Ward told Mr. Lister the recompense He shd. expect wd. be 500 
guineas. Mr. Lister sd. to Lawrence that it wd. have been much more 
proper if Ward had declined it altogether, rather than have mentioned 
such a sum. — 

A National Gallery 

March 15. — West I called on to see His picture of " Christ healing 
the sick " finished a few days ago. I found Sir Thos. Bernard there 
who has been very active in forwarding the subscription set on foot by 
Patrons of the British Institution to raise ;^3ooo by subscriptions of ,^50 
from each subscriber for the purpose of giving that sum to Mr. West 
for this picture to be considered as the commencement of a national 
gallery. — I also saw for the first time West's picture of " Lot & His 
daughters retiring from Sodom," — with which I was much struck. — 

* Thomas Lister, second Baron Ribblesdale, 1 790-1 832. His widow married Lord 
John Russell, afterwards Earl Russell, and died in 1838. Mr. Lister apparently never 
exhibited at the Royal Academy or the British Institution. 

Mr. Harry Melvill, Bachelors' Club, Piccadilly, writes : With reference to the allu- 
sion to my grandfather's, the second Lord Ribblesdale' s, artistic ambitions in your extracts 
from the Farington Diary, may I be allowed to point out that he was an animal painter of 
real abiHty ? We have in our possession two most spirited oil studies by him, one of which 
represents a fight between two of the wild cattle which a hundred years ago still existed at 
Gisburne, his home in Yorkshire. 

248 



1811] Difficulties in Portugal 249 

On our way He told me that General Stewart,* Brother to Lord 
Castlereagh, & Adjutant Genl. to the Army in Portugal, had sat to him 
this morning, and in private conversation appeared to have feelings of 
the difficulties we shall have in maintaining ourselves in that situation. 
He said, the Spaniards are in sentiment & in other respects, a higher people 
than the Portuguese, but unfortunately at this period a great disadvan- 
tage arises from it. — They want military experience, but are too proud to 
allow themselves to act under the management & direction of British 
Officers, and have also much indolence of character, although their detesta- 
tion of the French is fixed. The Portuguese, on the contrary, are tractable. 

The General had a letter in His pocket reed, this day from Lord 
Wellington, who spoke of the difficulties of His situation which were 
daily increasing. 

Great Action Impending 

The General then sd. He shd. return to Portugal [at] the end of next 
week, and added, that when the weather will admit of military operations 
in Portugal you may expect to hear of a great action, like that of Tala- 
vera, or that our army is quitting Portugal, or words to that effect, 
such He described to be the disadvantage of Lord Wellington's situation, 
nearly cooped up in Lisbon, and the war in the Peninsula as carried on 
at an expence to make the people at home impatient. He said the 
expences of the last year of what respected Spain & Portugal only 
amounted to lo, millions. — He mentioned that many Prisoners had 
been lately taken who belonged to Massena's army & they to a man 
agreed in the same account viz : That in Massena's army every man had 
a pound of Bread & a pound of meat each day. — This contradicted th«» 
continued report of the French army being in a state of starvation. — 

Sheridan's Plays 

March 17. — Wilson I dined with. — Mrs. Lefanu is Sister to Richd 
Brinsley Sheridan M.P. — In consequence of a private conversation 
with Wilson respecting this extraordinary man, I requested Miss Wilson 
to put some questions to Mrs. Lefanu & Miss Wilson wrote me the fol- 
lowing, viz : " Mr. Sheridan wrote His Duenna at 21 or 22 years of age, 
— and all His dramatick pieces from that period to the age of Twenty 
five."— 

John Nash, Architect 

March 18. — Smirke called. He dined with Sir Thos. Bernard in 
Wimpole St. on Saturday last. West, Beechey, Nash,t an architect, 

* See Captain Stewart of previous chapter, LXIX. 

I John Nash (1752-1835), of stucco fame, is identified principally with the architec- 
ture of Central London. He designed (with two exceptions) all the terraces around Regent's 
Park and the Quadrant in Regent Street, which is now demolished and replaced by heavy, 
imposing buildings. 



250 The Farington Diary [isii 

& P[rince] Hoare were there. A Church,* proposed to be built on the 
[site] of Foley-House at the end of Portland Place was a subject of con- 
versation. Nash seemed to put himself very forward as having had 
much to do in forming plans for improvements in the Marybone Dis- 
trict. Smirke wished me to obtain from Mr. D. P. Watts by means of 
Constable, who the Gentlemen are who form the Marybone Committee 
for building the Church proposed to be erected. — 

He said, that in the course of the evening Sir Thomas Bernard men- 
tioned to him " that Wests picture of Christ HeaHng the Sick " was 
purchased, — meaning by Subscribers to the British Institution. — 

Rossi called, — and we talked of His model for a monument to Lord 
Rodney. He fully approved of the alteration suggested by Lawrence & 
supported by me, of adding to the figure of His Lordship a Boat Cloak 
to give a fullness to it, & render it more picturesque. — He spoke of His 
monument to Lord Cornwallis now far advanced towards finishing, & 
said. That should He ever have another Commission of this kind He wd, 
make His Model as large as the size which might be fixed upon for the 
marble, having found that by making His model only half the size, many 
small parts are not sufficiently expressed, and this is seen when the copy 
made in marble from the model upon this smaller scale magnifies the 
parts, then discriminations are wanting. — 



Marchioness of Hertford 

Lawrence called in the evening. He had been proceeding upon the 
portrait of Genl. Stewart, Brother to Lord Castlereagh for the Exhibi- 
tion. The General spoke of the attachment of the Prince of Wales 
to the Marchioness of Hertford,! who on acct. of Her age, being upwards 
of 50, He called " Madame Maintenon "| — She is a sensible woman, 
and has talents and manners which cause the Prince to seek Her com- 
pany daily. She is said to have infused some methodistical notions into 
the Prince's mind, — 

* All Souls' Church, no doubt. It was erected on part of the site of Foley House, but 
not until 1826. Nash was the architect, and its eccentric combination of classic columns, 
with sharp-pointed spire, was ridiculed at the time. He was caricatured impaled on its 
summit, and we are told that when he showed the print to his assistants he said : " See, 
gentlemen, how criticism has exalted me." 

And the Quarterly Review of June, 1826, referred to him thus : 
Augustus at Rome was for building renowned. 
And of marble left what of brick he had found ; 
But is not our Nash, too, a very great master ? 
He finds us all brick and he leaves us all plaster. 
There is now little left of his plastered walls. See Vol. I., page 251. 

t See Vol. IV., page 69. 

X The name of a mistress of Louis XIV., who married her when she was fifty-one. 
He himself was three years younger. 



1811] ** King's Painter'' 251 

I spoke to Lawrence abt. His situation as " King's Painter " & of the 
importance it wd. be to Him, to secure a continuation of His situation 
in that Office. He said that it was an appointment vested in the Lord 
Chamberlain and He apprehended that though not a Patent Place yet 
that it was considered to be a place for Life unless in case of misbehaviour. 
— I, however, recommended to him to keep His mind upon it, & guard 
against a loss which was possible. 

Smirke and Lord Lonsdale 

March 19. — Robert Smirke I dined with, He having no other com- 
pany. — He told me that in making a 5 per cent, estimate for Himself 
for what He Had hitherto done for Lord Lonsdale at Lowther, He should 
not reckon it at what the building would have cost had all the articles 
been paid for, which would have made it. He thought, £150,000, but shd. 
only charge upon what His Lordship had actually paid, which was abt. 
j^6o,ooo. I expressed my approbation of His moderation, especially 
considering how kind a friend Lord Lonsdale has been to Him. He sd. 
it wd. take many years, 8 or 10 perhaps, before Lowther Castle is com- 
pletely finished, but the expences are now moderate. — 

He spoke of the Courts of Justice for which He has given designs 
for the County of Cumberland, They are building at Carlisle, & will cost 
a large Sum to be expended at the rate of 8 or £10,000 a year, which is 
raised by a County rate. — 

They Must Not Dance 

He mentioned Lady [Catherine] Graham wife of Sir James Graham 
of Netherby in Cumberland. She is a daughter of the late Earl of Gallo- 
way. Her religious principles are extremely strict, and Her sentiments 
are of so serious a kind that she wd. not allow Her daughters to learn 
to dance, and it was with great difficulty that Sir James carried His point 
to have them instructed in musick. 

I recommended Him to apply to Sir Jas. Graham, respecting the Church 
to be built at the end of Portland Place, as He is a Member of the Mary- 
bone Vestry, & may have influence. — I told Him Constable was not in 
town, therefore I could make no application to Mr. Watts through Him. — 

March 22. — Wm. Wells called, to invite me & my family party to 
dinner on Friday the 29th inst. He told me He had purchased a picture* 
by Domenichino, now copying By Bone in Enamel. He purchased 
it from Buchannan the Picture dealer. — He asked after the picture to be 
painted by me for Him. He also sd. He had resolved to make a Collec- 
tion of drawings by Artists, & expressed a desire to have some of my 
drawings. — 

* " St. Cecilia," for which Buchanan paid i,75ogs. in the Walsh Porter sale in 18 10. 
When sold at the dispersal of the Wells pictures in 1848 it fetched only 5oogs. 



252 The Farington Diary [I8II 

Benjamin West's Success 

March 23. — Mr. West I met today He having been at Dixon's the 

Printer, to see the Printing of Heath's plate of " the Death of Lord 
Nelson." — I congratulated him upon the purchase made of His picture 
of " Our Saviour in the Temple, heahng the Sick," by the Subscribers 
to the British Institution. — He said that on Wednesday the 27th, inst. 
He shd. shut himself up in order to make an Outline from it for a Picture 
which He shd. present to the Hospital at Philadelphia, and that His 
finished picture wd. then be carried to the British Institution to be there 
exhibited. — 

Mr. West told me that He had this day been sitting to Nollekens 
who was to make a Bust of Him to be executed in marble & placed in 
the British Institution ; the expence of it to be defrayed by a subscription 
of the members of this Society. — 

A Battle in Spain 

March 26. — Lord de Dunstanvilles I dined at. — After dinner there 
was a good deal of conversation respecting the engagement in Spain, 
near Cadiz, between the English under Lieut : General Graham, & the 
French under Marshall Victor, a detailed acct. of which was published 
in a Gazette Extraordinary yesterday. — Lord Mulgrave was the principal 
speaker upon this subject, & He bestowed high commendation on General 
Graham, & felt that He was unfortunate in being under the Command 
of the Spanish General Penas. He said, that had the Spanish army under 
that General co-operated fully with General Graham Victor's army 
would have been annihilated as an army. — He spoke of the state of 
Spain, & said. That for sometime it has been a Proverb in Spain, " The 
Higher the rank of a woman, the more is she a Prostitute ; The Higher 
the rank of a man, the more is He a Coward." — 



Dr. Cookson 

I talked with the Bishop of Salisbury abt. our friends Doctors Hughes 
& Cookson. He said one of the Pupils of Doctor Hughes (the Duke of 
Cumberland) had spoken to him (the Bishop) abt. Hughes having de- 
clined taking the living of St. Pancrass worth ;i^720 a year, — & thought 
it an instance of His indolence &c. — The Bishop observed in reply " That 
where there might be two motives it would be most desireable to take the 
more favorable side & to impute it to a conscientious motive ; which 
indeed, was the fact." 

Of Dr. Cookson, the Bishop sd. He had been Ten years looking to 
the situation of a Dignitary in the Church, — " a Deanery, or a Bishop- 
rick, & the King had Him much in His mind for that purpose, but there 
had always been some person or other who the Ministers had to support 
which prevented it." He added, " That if Cookson's pupils (meaning 



1811] Dr. Cookson 258 

the three younger Royal Dukes) had pressed it, as might have been hoped, 
He must have succeeded." 

I expressed my surprise that situated as Cookson is, with a family to 
provide for, and with a large income from Church preferment and at 
liberty to be as oeconomical as He pleases, He shd. wish for rank in the 
Church such as wd. necessarily subject him to great expence. The Bishop 
replied " That this desire of Cookson was highly improvident, as He 
could have no hope of preferment but such as wd. very greatly increase 
His expences witht. adding to His income.'* 



CHAPTER LXXI 

1811 

Fuseli's Self-importance 

March 26. — We dined abt. 7 oClock, & I came away a little after 
Eleven, Fuseli shewed a trait of His character. After the Ladies 
retired from the dinner table Lord de Dunstanville left the bottom of the 
table & sat at the Head of it. This change caused Fuseli to be the 
last person in the line towards the bottom of one side of the table. In 
consequence of feeling himself thus thrown out of the centre of conversa- 
tion He immediately quitted His Chair and walked out of the room & was 
no more seen. His feeling of self-importance would not allow Him to 
continue at a table at which He could not make a principal figure. 

Sir George Beaumont spoke to me of His Mother, who He said was 
born in 1718. She is now very well, but, He fears, will lose Her eye- 
sight. It is remarkable that Her Sister, who has been a sort of Vale- 
tudinarian is now 89 years old. — 

About Constable 

March 27. — I was at home all day. — Constable called, being returned 
from the country whither He had gone to get the better of a cold which 
He caught some weeks since & such was the susceptibility of His lungs ; 
so subject to inflammation, that He had to apprehend much danger if 
He remained in London while the Cold was upon Him. He sd. His 
Father, a remarkably stout & Healthy man, now 70 years of age, never 
could live in London, not for a day witht. risk. In coming from Essex, 
near Dedham, He could perceive a difference in the air when He came 
to Ilford, 7 miles from London, & it became more & more oppressive as 
He advanced towards the Metropolis. 

He told me that His Uncle Mr. David Pike Watts of Portland Place, 
has lost His only remaining Son who was an Ensign in the Coldstream 
Regiment of Guards & was killed in Spain in the Battle near Cadiz on 
the 5 th. of this month. He was shot through the breast & died in 3 
minutes. His Servant & Soldiers assisted Him, but He expressed only a 
desire for them to proceed on their duty. Lieut : General Graham 
commanded in this action against Marshal Victor. — 

254 



1811] 



Leave Soane to Act 255 



March 28. — Smirke called to speak abt. the Academy business to 
be brought on this even'g. viz : The Resolution of Council declaring 
the Professorship of Architecture to be vacant. — He sd. Lawrence was of 
opinion that it wd. be best for Smirke & His particular friends not to go 
as Soane considered Him to be the person who caused the proceedings 
against him. Smirke concurred in this opinion with which I cordially 
agreed, and expressed the pleasure I shd. have in giving myself no con- 
cern with this or any other proceeding in the Academy when not called 
for by imperious necessity. 

I sd. my opinion was decided that it wd. be most prudent to leave 
Soane to act as His Humour might incline Him, to Lecture or not, — 
as, should He lecture the Law which had been passed wd. prevent Him 
from repeating His Criticisms on Works of British artists now living, — 
& shd. He not Lecture so much more wd. it be for the credit of the 
Academy. — I added that at any future period this matter might be taken 
up & He be removed if there shd. be cause for it. — 

March 31 . — Lane* of Cornwall called. He spoke of Lord de Dunstan- 
villes application to business & study when He is at Tehidy Park & 
witht. company. The morning He passes in His Library, all but the 
time He gives to exercise. After dinner He drinks abt. four glasses of 
wine, & soon after the Ladies retire goes to His Library, where He remains 
till tea time, after tea He plays a game at Cards & then goes to His 
Library, — or takes up a Book. — 

Bad Example 

St. James's Chapel I went to. Lane afterwards called upon me and 
I walked with Him to His Lodgings. He spoke of Sir John St. Aubyn,t 
with much respect, & mentioning the situation in which Sir John is 

* J. Bryant Lane, the artist. 

t Sir John St. Aubyn (1758-1839), fifth Baronet, was born at Golden Square, and ad- 
mitted to Westminster School In 1773. While there he apparently led an extravagant 
life, and in order to gratify his desires he induced a schoolfellow to join him in a bond for 
moneys advanced. The case came before the Lord Chancellor, who refused to accept 
St. Aubyn's plea of being under age, and ordered that the sum borrowed should be repaid 
with four per cent, interest. 

St. Aubyn was Sheriff of Cornwall, a member of Parliament for a number of years, and 
Provincial Grand Master of the Freemasons in Cornwall from 1785 to 1839. ^^^ '^^s also 
a Fellow of the Linnean Society, F.R.S., a collector of fossils, and an art patron. His 
portrait was painted by Sir Joshua Reynolds, and he befriended John Opie, by whom there 
are three portraits of the Baronet, one of which hangs in the Devonport Guildhall. St. 
Aubyn was married in 1822 to Juliana Vinicombe, a native of Cornwall, who died in 1856 
at the age of 87. 

The marriage portions of thirteen of his fifteen illegitimate children amounted to 
^130,000. His property at Devon and elsewhere was left to James St. Aubyn, his eldest 
natural son, with reversion to Edward St. Aubyn, another natural son, and his descendants. 
The latter son was created a Baronet in 1863 and became the father of the first Baron St. 
Levan (i 829-1908). 

Mr. B. S. Long writes : With reference to your notes respecting Sir John St. Aubyn, 



256 The Farington Diary [I8II 

placed as a family man lamented it. Sir John never was married but 
has many children. He has had in succession two Cornish women to 
live with Him, & has children by both. Both these women were persons 
of good conduct in every other respect but that of living with Him on 
these terms. The first He parted from & settled Her at Marazion in 
Cornwall, gave Her a House, and allows Her ;^30o a year. The other, 
Mrs. Winicombe, is a native of Marazion, and continues to live with Him, 
& sits at the Head of His table. All the children He educates as He wd. 
have done legitimate Sons and daughters : The latter are placed under 
the care of His Sister, Lady Barret Leonard ; The Eldest Son, a young 
man now 25 years old, has been at one of the Universities, & His Father 
now allows Him a separate establishment. Sir John now laments 
that He did not marry. All His Children bear the name of St. Aubyn. 

The manner in which Sir John has lived He ascribes to a bad educa- 
tion. He had the misfortune when a young man to be placed by His 
Father under the tuition of a Clergyman, a man who had credit with 
the world for pious dispositions as He had written several books on 
religious subjects. But He was in his mind a profligate. He was so 
depraved as actually to lead His pupil into scenes of vice with women 
8c familiarised Him to this kind of intercourse. 

He Went to Paris 

After this period Sir John went to Paris and remained in France 
three years. While He was abroad He formed a connexion with an 
Italian woman, and by Her had a daughter who lived to be married, 
but she & Her mother are now dead. Sir John now speaks of the manner 
in which He went on whilst He was in Paris, where He says He went 
into every dissipation, & bad habit except gaming and drinking. — 

In addition to the above might be added that Sir John in His manners 
evinces nothing that expresses a disposition to such a life as He Has 
passed. His manners are remarkably well-regulated, temperate & 
very polite, & His sentiments appear to correspond with His manners. 
What He now suffers from improper habits in His youth may from 
this account be supposed. — 

Lawrence called in the evening. He told me that Kemble had sent 
him a Ticket of introduction for two persons to Covent Garden theatre 
for every night, to be perpetual, and He offered me the use of it. 

it may be of interest to recall that there is a good miniature portrait of him in the Victoria 
and Albert Museum. It was painted about 1783, and a companion miniature of that date 
depicts a Miss St. Aubyn, presumably his sister. Both miniatures were presented to the 
Museum by Mr. Henry Barrett Lennard." 



CHAPTER LXXII 

1811 

The Fate of England 

April 2. — C, Offley I dined with at Probetts Hotel, King St. Covent 
Garden. — We had some political conversation. C. Offley thought 
Buonaparte had changed His plan for conquering Spain & would now 
do it gradually & thereby subjugate the whole of the continent to the 
confines of Russia. On being asked what He thought wd. be the fate 
of England after the Continent shd. be reduced to subjection, He said 
He did not think Buonaparte could conquer England, which by the 
resolution and valour of the people might still remain a free & independent 
country. 

After tea we had a long conversation on the subject of religion in 
which Mrs. Offley & myself had the principal share. She talked of Faith 
& Grace very much in a methodistical stile, but in describing what 
Religion is, which she did with a view to show that Methodists only 
have a just sense of it, manifested that all persons who have any real 
sentiments of religion however slight in their degree have as far as they 
go a portion of that religion which she wd. exclusively confine to a Sect. — 

April 3. — Lord de Dunstanville called to see my Exhibition pictures 
and expressed much satisfaction. — Lawrence I called on to see His 
Exhibition pictures which I thought the best He had painted, viz : — 
Mrs, Stratton — ^whole length, 2 young Barings, ditto. Hon : Mr. Cooper, 
West, Hon : Genl, Stewart, Half lengths. Mr. Hastings, Kit Cat. 

Friendly Calls 

April 5. — This day I sent two pictures to the Academy Exhibition, 
and at their desire called upon several artists to see their works intended 
for the same purpose. — Collins Junr. I called on & saw His pictures 
which manifested much improvement & promise. He proposed to have 
80 guineas for one of them, " The Trumpeter " — & for a smaller [one] 
30 guineas. — Ward I called on & saw 6 of His pictures, — 3 of them, 
portraits of Horses, very fine. — For one of them a White Pony He had 
100 guineas, — a picture dealer sd. He wd. have given Him 200 guineas 
VOL. VI. 257 17 



258 The Farington Diary [isii 

for it upon speculation. Ward said He cd. not paint more than 4 or 5 
such pictures in a year. — 

Constable I called on & saw His picture " A view near Langham in 
Essex." — Westall I called on & saw His pictures painted for Mr. Knight 
viz : " Damocles with the Sword suspended over Him," and " Orpheus 
charming the Brutes," — for which He was to have 150 guineas each ; 
too little considering the work in them. — I saw also some portraits — 
the prices the same as those paid to Lawrence. — 

April 6. — Ralph Kirtley* I met, the old servant of Sir Joshua 
Reynolds, who reminded me that He had known me many more than 
40 years, & said I looked like one growing young again. — He sd. His 
residence was No. 39 Portman Place, Edgware road. — 

Lord Wellesley's Lips 

April 8. — Lawrence spoke of Lord Wellesley as having ruined His 
fortune by His excessive expences on Womenf. — With all his abilities 
He has so great a share of vanity, that at the age of abt. 53 Lawrence 
has noticed when His Lordship sat to him for His Portrait, that His Lips 
were painted. — 

Lawrence was this day at the British Institution & saw West's picture 
of " Christ healing the Sick " placed there for Exhibition, & sd. it had an 
admirable effect, superior to what it had in His own room. — Sir Thomas 
Bernard was there, who He justly complimented upon having done 
more for the Arts than any other man. — Sir Thos. mentioned a proposal 
made by Payne Knight, viz : to take a Shilling for admission to the 
British Exhibition, & demand another shilling when at the top of the 
stairs, for admission to the South room to see West's picture. — Sir 
Thomas objected to it, as being a kind of trick upon those admitted. 

Dearth of Large Pictures 

April 9. — Lawrence called & brought me a Map of Portugal executed 
from a Map made with great care under the direction of Junot (the 
French General) while He commanded in Portugal. Dr. Milner, Dean of 
Carlisle, caused it to be engraved here. — He had been to the Academy 
this morning. Calcott, one of the Committee, told Him, That there was 
a want of large pictures which rendered it necessary to bring into the 
Great room large pictures not painted by members of the Academy. — 

* See Vol. IV.5 page no, and Vol. I., page 147. 

t Richard Marquess Wellesley (1760-1842) was twice married, first to Hyacinthe 
Gabrielle (only daughter of Pierre Roland, of Paris), by whom he had no legitimate issue ; 
secondly, to Marianne, daughter of Richard Caton, of Philadelphia, U.S.A., and widow of 
Robert Paterson, whose sister, Elizabeth, married Jerome Buonaparte, Marshal of France, 
and King of Westphalia. 

The Marquess was succeeded in the Earldom and Barony of Mornington and Viscounty 
of Wellesley by his brother William. 



1811] Presents to the King 259 

Lawrence apprehended that West's large picture of " Christ healing 
the Sick " being exhibited at the British Institution, would affect the 
Royal Academy Exhibition, by drawing people from it. — 

April 11. — Salt* called upon me & we had some conversation re- 
specting His voyage to Abyssinia, from whence He is lately returned. 
He went under an Order of Government, & carried presents to the King of 
Abyssinia, & was kindly reed, but the Mahommedans are so much in 
posession of the Sea adjacent to that country that no trade can well 
be carried on with it till their power in this respect is reduced. — He 
sd. that He is still in the pay of Government and does all His business 
with Secretaries in Lord Wellesley's Office. He is allotted to the Turkish 
Department, over which under His Lordship, Sir Culling Smith 
presides. t — 

Soane Would Not Be Driven 

April 12. — Good Friday. Rossi called. He told me the Invitations 
to the Academy dinner were last night voted by the Council ; all the 
members being present. — Sir Wm. Elford put up by Rossi was Black- 
balled, upon which Rossi expressed His indignation in such terms as to 
cause Turner to propose a Second Ballot for Sir Wm. against whom, 
one Black-ball then appeared, & He was entered on the List. Two 
Black-Balis exclude. — Rossi had the name of Lysons in His Hand, but 
Howard recommended to Him not to propose Him, which He did not. — 
Soane did not vote ; & contrary to what He has long been was very 
conciliating with Rossi ; who, in private conversation told Him, that 
there were no difficulties with respect to Him but of His own creating, — 

* Henry Salt, explorer. See Vols. II., IV., V. 

t Mr. Frederic Turner, Flarenworth, Mortimer, Berks, writes : The " Sir Culling 
Smith " mentioned under April nth, 1811, was Sir Charles Culling Smith, who was created 
a Baronet in 1802. He married Anne, sister of the Duke ofWellington, and his daughter, 
Emily Frances, became the second wife of Henry Somerset, seventh Duke of Beaufort. As 
this lady was the half-sister of the Duke's first wife, the marriage was within the prohibited 
degrees of affinity, and voidable by sentence of the ecclesiastical court. No such sentence 
was passed, and the voidability was annulled by Lord Lyndhurst's Marriage Act of 1835. 
This Act was not passed specially for this marriage, but it is thought to have influenced 
its passage ; all marriages before that date were legalised, all after were to be void. The 
Duke's first wife was Georgiana Frederica, daughter of the Hon. Henry Fitzroy, Lady Anne 
Culling Smith's first husband. 

A Huguenot emigrant family named Lefevre took the name of Smith and settled in 
London. Two members of this family entered the service of the E.I.C. about 1750, namely 
Charles, who became a member of Council at Fort St. George, and Culling Smith, who was 
on the Bengal establishment. They were the sons of Thomas Smith and Culling Home, 
the sister of John Home, Governor of Bombay. This information as to the family appeared 
in Notes and Queries^ but the writer seems to have confused the two brothers, as Culling's 
name was Charles. 

During the early part of the last century Sir Charles and his wife took a leading part 
in the social hfe of the district in which they resided, Englefield Green, Surrey. Lady 
Anne lies in a catacomb under Egham church. Her husband is mentioned several times 
in the " Greville Memoirs," although his name does not appear in the index. 

VOL. yi. 17* 



260 The Farington Diary [1811 

that He had no enemies in the Academy : — no persons hostile to Him ; 
& that His prejudices were entertained against the best men in the 
Academy. — Soane listened, & said, " He might be led, but could not 
be drove." 

Farington's Picture 

Lawrence called in the evening & told me my picture " A view of 
[Lynmouth] looking towards the Land " had been placed in the centre 
upon the Chimney-piece at the Academy, with Westall's " Damocles " 
on one side, and His Orpheus on the other side ; and a picture by [Edward] 
Bird of Bristol, under it ; and that surrounded by these pictures it did 
not appear to so great advantage as in its former situation. He wished 
me to balance Whether the marked distinction of this situation shd. 
over balance the advantage of it appearing with better effect ? & re- 
commended [me] to speak to Calcott respecting it. — This information I 
have no doubt He reed, from West, who, if it was from Him, said, that 
this was His opinion & that another Member of Council had concurred 
in it. 

British Troops the Best 

Lawrence had dined with Kemble, who said that He had seen a Coll. 
Mead, lately returned from Portugal, who spoke of the retreat of Massena 
and the excessive cruelties committed by His army. He said the British 
troops are now the best soldiers in the world ; that so perfect are they 
in discipline and so steady, that they disregard being outflanked, a 
maneuvre which has been reckoned fatal to an army by placing it between 
two fires. On the contrary. He said, when this happens to the British 
soldiers, they present two faces to the enemy, & fight both ways with 
equal intrepidity. 



CHAPTER LXXIII 

1811 

Lord Derby's Income 

April 13. — Mr. Fielding* I dined with at the Imperial Hotel, 
Covent Garden. Fielding spoke of Lord Derby and said His property- 
amounted to upwards of ^50,000 a year, — & that He pays income Tax 
upwards of ^S'^^'^ ^ year. — He said Lord Derby is an excellent Lord 
Lieutenant ; and though politically in opposition, yet He forwards all 
the measures of Government to the utmost of His power. — 

Avoid Wine 

April 16. — I was at Home all day. — Dick [Farington's brother] 
this day went to Mr. Cline, the eminent Surgeon, to consult Him respect- 
ing having voided some small stones which had passed through the 
Urethra. Mr. Cline said that there being a disposition in His constitu- 
tion to form strong substances. He recommended to Him to attend to 
His diet, & to forbear from taking such things as would contribute to 
such formations : to avoid zvine altogether, as in Wine there is much 
Tartar, an acid, & all acids would be prejudicial to Him : to avoid vinegar 
& whatever was of an acid nature. He recommended Small Ale in the 
place of wine ; said He might eat ripe fruits ; and that whenever He 
might find a disposition to costiveness to take Magnesia. 

With respect to Diet, He left Him at liberty to eat what He pleased. 
— Mr. Cline took only one guinea, which Dr. Hayes, who went with Dick, 
sd. would be the proper fee to offer Him. — Mr. Cline & Hayes conversed 
together a quarter of an Hour, Dick having left them for that purpose, 
and Cline prescribed some powder to be taken. 

April 18. — In Chislehurst Church Dick saw monuments to several 
of the name of Farrington, & on the monuments the Family arms & old 
Woeven Crest were cut. — The only difference in the name was that here 
it was spelt with two R.'s. 

• William Fielding (? 1748-1820), elder son of Henry Fielding, author of " Tom Jones," 
was a Magistrate for Westminster. See Vols. IV.j V. 

261 



262 The Farington Diary [I8II 

Soane Again 

April 22. — I went to the Royal Academy Exhibition it being a var- 
nishing day. Flaxman was there & told me that at the General Assembly 
on Saturday last Soane's business was again brought forward, viz : a 
report from the Council that the Resolution " that Soane by His conduct 
had vacated the Office of Professor of Architecture," had been rescinded. 
— Soane was at the meeting & was manifestly sore at the General Assembly 
having at the former meeting passed a Resolution declaring that Soane 
had acted improperly in not giving a direct answer to the Council. He 
wanted this record of His misconduct to be rescinded, — also to be placed 
in the same situation as to His Lecturing as He was when He delivered 
His last Lecture, — meaning thereby to have the Law rescinded, which 
declares that no criticisms on the works of modern British Artists shall 
be permitted in the Royal Academy. — Finally He was left in a situation 
to be proceeded against accordingly as His future conduct may merit 
animadversion. — I met Wilkie there whose health appeared to be much 
improved. — Lawrence, Turner, Calcott, Wm. Daniell and Howard, were 
busily employed painting on their pictures. I met Thomson on the 
stairs looking ill & lame from the complaint in His left Thigh & leg. — 
Lane of Cornwall called upon me, & mentioned handsome things said by 
Lord & Lady de Dunstanville & Miss Bassett respecting me. — 

Pride and Bigotry 

L. Hoppner spoke of what He found to be the disposition of the 
Spaniards. The lower order of the people would, He sd. if placed under 
British officers, make good soldiers : But all the Classes above these are 
a wretched people, — Pride & Bigotry are their characteristics, — they 
hate the French, and dislike the English. — They have no real patriotism. — 

Constable Uneasy 

April 23. — Constable called, in much uneasiness of mind, having 
heard that His picture — a landscape, " a view near Dedham, Essex," 
was hung very low in the Anti-room of the Royal Academy. He appre- 
hended that it was a proof that He had fallen in the opinion of the Members 
of the Academy. — I encouraged him & told Him Lawrence had twice 
noticed His picture with approbation. — 



CHAPTER LXXIV 

1811 

Her Sweet Disposition 

April 24. — Reinagle* to-day told me that His eldest Son, Ramsay 
Reinagle, married Miss Bullfinch who was governess to Reinagle's chil- 
dren a well-educated & amicable woman. Her Father resided in Wales, 
kept his carriage & lived expensively, but at His death it was found that 
He had mortgaged His estate & left only a few thousand pounds to main- 
tain His widow and 3 daughters, and in consequence of being so slenderly 
provided for Mrs. Ramsay Reinagle became a governess, — Reinagle 
said, His wife wd. never allow any of His daughters to go to a school 
after the period of their infancy, but had them educated & instructed 
at Home. It was in His Father's House that Ramsay Reinagle became 
attached to Miss Bullfinch. — Howard, now Secretary to the Royal 
Academy, was pupil to Reinagle, and became attached to one of His 
daughters. He had known Her from an infant state and His partiality 
for Her arose from His observing the sweetness of Her disposition. After 
His return from Italy, He instructed Her in drawing, & eventually married 
Her. They have 5 Children. — 

Lawrence Supreme 

April 25. — I was at Home till late in the afternoon when I went to 
the Royal Academy and found there West, Lawrence, Woodforde, 
Beechey, Howard, Turner, Oliver, Dawe, Westall, Stothard, touching 
upon their pictures. — This being the last varnishing day & Lawrence 
having completed His pictures, His superiority appeared to me so mani- 
fest, & I found such a sense of His power in the art prevailing in the minds 
of the members, many of whom were rather below than above what they 
had before appeared, that I told Him this was the time for Him to 
raise His prices, and I recommended to Him to have 300 guineas for a 
whole length & the smaller sizes in proportion. I told Him it [was] 
more just & reasonable for Him to do this as in His practise He worked 
more like an Amateur who disregarded the time employed, than like one 

• See PhiUp Reinagle, R.A. Vols. I., III., IV., V. 
263 



264 The Farington Diary [isii 

who thought of getting money. — He said He had already declared His 
price for a whole length to be raised from 200 guineas to 250, and shd. 
think of what I further recommended to him. — I added that He who in 
His practice thought of excellence only shd. be paid in proportion. — 

April 26. — Lawrence I dined with. He had been to the Exhibition 
and reed, many compliments on the merits of His pictures, from Sir 
George Beaumont, Shee, &c. &c. — Perry, proprietor of the Morning 
Chronicle called in the even'g, but saw Lawrence only. He was desirous 
of obtaining from Him some observations on the Exhibiiton. — 

An Excellent Academy 

April 27. — The Royal Academy I went to at 12 oClock & remained 
there till near 3, laying cards for the company expected to the Annual 
Exhibition dinner. Turner & Calcott, & Howard, & West were there 
part of the time, but I regulated nearly the whole of the arrangement. 
I returned home to dress and soon after 4 went back to the Academy, 
where the Company was assembling. — The Prince of Wales (Prince 
Regent) with the Dukes of Clarence & Kent came abt. 5 oClock, & went 
through the rooms looking at the pictures with attention. The Exhibi- 
tion appeared to give general satisfaction. Lawrence's portraits were 
particularly admired. At a quarter past 6 the company sat down to 
dinner. — 

The Prince's Speech 

After dinner several toasts were given, viz : The King, The Prince 
Regent, — The Queen, — The Dukes of York, Clarence, & Kent, & the rest 
of the Royal Family, — &c. &c. — after which the Prince Regent rose to 
address the Company, which in consequence stood attentive ; The 
principal point of His speech which lasted several minutes was, to the 
following effect, — 

" In expressing the pride & satisfaction He felt as an Englishman 
while sitting in that room wherein He saw exhibited works of art which 
wd. have done Honor to any country ; Portraits which might vie with 
the pictures of Vandyke, — Landscapes which Claude would have admired ; 
and pictures & works of equal excellence in other branches of art. When 
He saw so much which manifested the great improvement in art He 
felt proud as an Englishman that He might with confidence expect that 
as this country had risen superior to all others in Arms, in military & 
naval prowess, so would it in Arts. — Others, He sd. might be more able 
to judge of the excellence of works of art, but could not exceed him in 
his love of the arts, or in wishes for their prosperity." — 

Prosperity of Art 

This speech the Prince delivered in a manly & graceful manner, & 
it made a very strong impression. No meeting of the Academy on this 
annual occasion ever went off in so marked a manner, nor did there 



1811] Prosperity of Art 265 

ever before appear so much cordial warmth for the prosperity of art. 
— Mr. West made a speech of acknowledgment for the Prince Regent's 
gracious sentiments. The Prince then gave a toast, " The Marquiss 
of Stafford," who, He sd. " had proved His warm desire to encourage the 
arts." The Marquiss, in return, sd. That under the auspices of the Prince 
Regent He shd. be happy in doing all in his power for this purpose. — 

At 20 minutes past 9 the Prince Regent with His two Royal brothers, 
quitted their seats & went away, & the company immediately broke up, 
except the Duke of Somerset, who sat with West, & many of the members, 
a short time. — The Prince was uniformly in good spirits, & conversed 
with those within His view with great freedom & chearfulness, and left 
a very agreeable impression on the minds of the whole company, as was 
visible & expressed by many. — 

Lawrence whose professional fame was this day established by the 
general acknowledgment of the superior excellence of His works, came 
home with me & had tea. — 

The Best Speech 

April 29. — Westall called, & spoke of the Academy dinner. He sat 
near Mr. Wilberforce, who, after the Prince Regent had concluded His 
address to the company then assembled said, " It was the best Kings 
speech He had ever heard, and He believed the only Kings speech that, 
since the time of William the Third, was not made by a Minister." — 
Westall took His brother Wm. Westall into the Exhibition room yester- 
day to touch upon His picture which had been injured, but Turner & 
Calcott finding Him so employed wd. not allow Him to proceed. Fuseli 
had before consented to it, but Turner & Calcott sd. He had no authority 
for it. — 

Constable and Lawrence 

April 30. — Constable called to speak abt. the Exhibition. — He said 
there was a great body of Artists there yesterday, and the Exhibition 
was much approved. Lawrence, He said, stood unrivalled in the opinion 
of all.— 

Collins Junr. called to speak abt. a small picture of His which had been 
placed in the Exhibition upon the chimney piece touching the ground, 
which He expected wd. cause His frame to be injured by the feet of people. 
— I recommended to Him to go to Mr. Howard & propose to have a board 
put round it. — He said Sir Thos. Bernard had urged Him to paint for the 
Historical premium the next year. I gave him my opinion which was 
that He had best pursue His own line in which He was manifestly im- 
proving. — He had said that He had for sometime been able to maintain 
himself & that should He pass 5 months in painting an Historical picture 
& then be unsuccessful it wd. be a great disappointment. — 



CHAPTER LXXV 

1811 

2,200 Guineas for a Copy 

May 1. — Bone called, & told me He had sold His enamel picture, 
18 Inches by 16 in size, of Bacchus & Ariadne after the original by Titian 
from the Aldebrandini Villa in Rome, now in the Collection of Lord 
Kinnaird. The Price at which He sold it is 2200 guineas including 
the Frame,* which leaves Him a clear receipt of something more than 
2000 guineas. Not having been able to exhibit it on acct. of it being 
left with the Prince of Wales for His Royal Highnesses inspection, He 
said He should exhibit it for a time at His own House, & shd. issue cards 
for that purpose. — 

Drawings by Wilson 

May 2. — I went to the British Institution & saw West's picture. 
P. Sandbys (now deceased) — the sale of His drawings I went to at 
Christies, where I met His Son T. Sandby, & with him looked over many 
lots of drawings by Wilson. I recommended to Him to be careful in the 
sale of them, — told Him how few persons posessed drawings by Wilson 
— namely Lord Dartmouth, Mr. C. Bowles, myself, & Mr. W. Locke, 
& that it wd. be better to keep them together than to sell any of them 
at low prices. It being the first day of sale He had but little time to 
determine what to do. — There was a large Collection of drawings by the 
late P. Sandby, & I could not but sensibly feel the great difference between 
His works & those of Artists who now practise in Water Colour. — His 
drawings so divided in parts, so scattered in effect, — detail prevailing 
over general effect. — 

May 3. — I went in the morn'g to Sandby'sf sale & saw T. Sandby 
there. He bought in most of the drawings by Wilson — the drawings 
by Hodges of the Cyx & Alcione & Niobe from Wilson's pictures, were 

* In the Beckitt-Denison sale in 1885 ;^ii6 lis. was paid for an enamel of *' Bacchus 
and Ariadne," by Henry Bone after Titian. It was similar in size to the work referred 
to in the above paragraph. For Henry Bone, see Vols. II.j III., V. 

t Thomas Sandby. See Vols. I.j IV.j V. 

266 



1811] 



Lawrence's Prices 2^7 



sold as drawings by Wilsoiffor lo or ii guineas each. The bidding for 
Wilson's drawings was high. T. Sandby said He did not want the money, 
therefore wd. keep them. — 

I had company to dinner. — Lawrence told me privately that He 
had raised His prices (fifty per cent, in some cases, but much less in 
others) — 

Three quarters 50 to 75gs. 

Kitcat 70 to do. 

Half length 100 to 150 do. 

Bishops Half length 120 to do. 

Whole length 200 to 300 do. 

May 4. — Mr. Anderdons* in New St. Spring gardens I went to with 
Lane to Breakfast & there met several gentlemen & saw some fine pictures 
by Italian, Spanish & Flemish & Dutch masters. Mr. Anderdon gives a 
kind of public breakfast every Saturday. — 

Davis I called on & talked with respecting the payment for my draw- 
ings for Britannia Depicta — Magna Britannia & the proposed edition 
of Stowe's survey of London. — He proposed that for each year a calcula- 
tion shd. be made in January, & the payments made quarterly, in March, 
June — Septr. & Deer, to which I agreed. — I proposed to him to have a 
few additional plates engraved to those for the Britannia Depicta of 
Cumberland, these to be views in Westmorland to form a set of prints 
which might be published under the title of views in Cumberland & West- 
morland, which wd. be a desireable work for Tourists. — He approved it, 
but thought some of the prints intended for the Britannia Depicta might 
be omitted in this publication, such as the view of Carlisle, &c., which 
wd. make the work more exactly what Tourists might wish for. — 

May 5. — Field of Bristol called to speak abt. making Lake. He sd. 
that the Bengal Lake when mixed with White will perish if exposed to 
the sun, which His (Fields) Lake will not do. 

May 6. — Lawrence I called on & saw His new prices stated in a Frame. 
He sd. that He had resolved to do what was most proper viz : Not to 
take a new Sitter for Six months to come, but to employ that time in 
finishing pictures begun. — I much approved it. 

* Mr. James Hughes Anderdon, of Upper Grosvenor Square, was for many years a 
collector of pictures by Old Masters and works by artists of the British School. He 
bequeathed Hogarth's " Sigismunda " to the National Gallery, and the Trustees, doubtless 
in gratitude, purchased eight of his pictures, when they were sold in 1879 ^^ Christie's, 
at a cost of ^^653 2s. 

These works were Romney's " The Parson's Daughter " (;£378), " A Quarry with 
Peasants " by Morland (;^42), two landscapes by Constable (;^27 6s. and ^37 i6s.), both 
at the Tate Gallery, where also are two drawings by Stothard. The " Portrait of Martin 
Luther," ascribed to Holbein {£()2\ and a " Portrait of Gay, the Poet," attributed to G. 
Aikman {£zj 6s.), are not recorded in any of the National Gallery catalogues. The sale 
realised ^^9,611. Mr. Anderdon's annotated and illustrated Royal Academy Catalogues, 
in the British Museum and the Royal Academy Libraryj are invaluable to historians. 



268 The Farington Diary [I8il 

King and the Academy 

Landseer called, & brot. impressions of Plates. — He again talked of 
being appointed Professor of Engraving in the Royal Academy, — & 
complained that the late Council, Shee, Flaxman, PhiHps, Howard &c. 
had waived His request to have his application respecting making En- 
gravers Academicians by informing Him it was a subject not for them 
to take up, — thereby, as He thought, signifying that as it related to the 
construction of the Academy, the King must be applied to. This Land- 
seer sd. might be done, but would be a dangerous precedent as causing 
Academical matters to originate with the King instead of being proposed 
by the body, as thereby an influence out of the Society might prevail 
against it. — 

Smirke called & told me Rossi had been with Him to say that Gilman, 
Secretary to the British Institution had informed Him that there was 
little doubt of His having one of the Government monuments, — that of 
Lord Rodney, the Members of the Committee of Taste having met, & ex- 
pressed particular approbation of it. C. Long, — Ld. Carysfort, Sir G. 
Beaumont, Wm. Locke &c. were there. — The models of Rossi — Westma- 
cott and another were to be carried to the Marquiss of Stafford's in a few 
days & there the ultimate decission would be made. The models of the 
other candidates were to be taken away by the owners of them. — 

The death of Milne the Architect was this day announced in the 
newspapers. — He designed Blackfryars Bridge — & was surveyor of St. 
Pauls Cathedral, a place of Honour, but the Salary only ^70 a year. 
It is in the gift of the Archbishop of Canterbury, The Bishop of London, 
& the Lord Mayor. — 

Domestic Comfort 

May 7. — D. Lysons spoke to me of His situation ; and said He 
had no prospect of Domestic Comfort but in another marriage, & that 
He had seen a Lady, a Relation of R. Price who appeared suited to Him. 
He required for His children, a superintendant of His Family, & shd. 
wish for a woman of from 30 to 35 years of age. — He sd. that at the death 
of Mrs. Lysons of Bath, now near 75 yrs. old. He shall have near ^£3000 
a year.— Miss Mary Pettiward has ,^36000. She is 47 years old. — 

Saml. Lysons, this morning, had spoke to me of His Brothers wish to 
marry, & did not see the necessity for His being anxious abt. it as necessary 
for His happiness. He also spoke of D. Lysons's mind, being at present 
filled with apprehensions for His constitution, thinking that He is falUng 
away in person, & has a tendency to consumption, though He is now of 
a full habit & looks very well. — 



CHAPTER LXXVI 

1811 

The Handsomest Man 

May 8. — Middiman called upon the business of His engraving for 
the Britannia Depicta. We talked of old times. I had known Him 
from the year 1767 when He became Pupil to Wm. Byrne,* Engraver. — 
He comphmented me on the appearance I formerly bore, saying " I 
was the handsomest man He had seen, & my person corresponded in 
good form with my countenance." Thus did He speak of the living 
Old man as He wd. have done of a deceased person, & I listened to His 
speaking as of one who was past & gone. To this does age bring us. — 

Cause of a Duel 

May 10. — Lane of Cornwall called. He told me the Duel which 
was fought last Summer between Lord de Dunstanville & Sir Christopher 
Hawkins arose as follows, — Lord de Dunstanville has the principal 
interest in two Boroughs viz. : Bodmin & Penryn ; near the latter place 
He has large estates. At the last election for members of Parliament 
Sir Christopher Hawkins obtained a return of one member for Penryn, 
but it was afterwards proved to have been effected by Bribery. One 
of the Bribed voters swore that 24 guineas was paid to each of many 
voters. This caused the election of Sir Christopher's Member to be set 
aside, & Lord de Dunstanville obtained the return of a member in His 
room. Sir Christopher had long acted towards His Lordship in a manner 
the contrary of friendly behaviour. 

At a Public meeting on some occasion an assertion which had been 
made by Sir Christopher was directly contradicted by His Lordship. 
This was told to Sir Christopher. On coming home from the Opera 
one evening His Lordship found a Letter from Sir Christopher requiring 
Him to explain His conduct in having contradicted what Sir Christopher 
had asserted. Lord de Dunstanville wrote an answer declaring He would 
give no explanation, & added that Sir Christopher might do whatever 
His mind dictated. A few days afterwards Lord D. received a challenge 

• See Vols. I., II., III., IV. 
269 



270 The Farington Diary [I8II 

from Sir Christopher. Lord D. got Admiral Sir Edwd, Buller to be His 
Second, & Mr. Davies Giddy also knew His situation. Sir Christopher 
had a military officer for His second. 

On the morning appointed for the meeting Lord D, rose at six oClock, 
which surprised Lady D. who said to Him that there must be some- 
thing very particular to cause His rising so early. — Lord D. went to a 
place appointed & found Sir Edward Buller, & with Him, in a Chaise, 
proceed[ed] to meet Sir Christopher. Two Shots were fired by each. 
The first Ball fired by Sir Christopher touched the Hair of Lord de Dun- 
stanville. After the two shots had been fired the Seconds interfered, and 
would not allow the matter to go any farther. — The morning before 
that on which the Duel was fought. Lane called upon Lord D, but did 
not see Him. His Lordship afterwards told Him that He was then 
employed in adding Codicils to His Will & in settling His affairs. — 

Peele's Coffee House 

May 11. — I went with Lawrence to Mr. Anderdon's & there break- 
fasted & saw His pictures. Lane was there. Lawrence was particularly 
pleased with His Murillo " Christ baptised by St. John ", & with His 
picture by Sebastian Del Piombo " The Virgin Mary's visitation to 
Elizabeth ". — We afterwards went with Lawrence to the Exhibition ; 
& from thence I went to Peele's Coffee House [in Fleet Street at the 
south-eastern corner of Fetter Lane] to read the files of Newspapers 
to see in what manner the Exhibition was reported, also to see the file 
of St. James's Chronicle. — 

Exhibitions 

May 12. — I went to St. James's Chapel. — Reinagle Junr. I met. 
He spoke of the Exhibitions as being very fine, but said at the Water 
Colour Exhibition there had been comparatively but little success in 
disposing of drawings, not more than a third of the number sold last 
year at this period. 

Mr. Jennings of Bath called upon me. He spoke of the Bath Exhibi- 
tion and sd. It had been found impossible to induce the public to visit 
it & the consequence would be a certain expence to the Proprietor, 
which wd. in all probability prevent any further attempt to establish 
an Exhibition. 

Bunbury the Caricaturist 

May 13. — Lady Mary Lowther I called on, & saw Her Sketches 
& formed a Plan for Her proceeding in Painting by first Copying my picture 
of Mecenas's Villa by Wilson. — Lord Lonsdale sat with us sometime. 
He told me that He had been informed of the death of Mr. Henry 
Bunbury* at Keswick in Cumberland, where He resided. He said 

* See Vols. III., IV., V. 



1811] Bunbury the Caricaturist 271 

that passing through Keswick abt. 8 or lo days since He was told at the 
Royal Oak Inn, that Mr, Bunbury was very unwell, that from the Inn 
they had sent Him Jehies & other things,— that He forbid everybody 
from writing to His Brother, Sir Charles Bunbury, or to His son in London, 
to report the state of His Health. 

Upon His Lordship coming to London He did however, through Lord 
Lowther, inform Bunbury's Son of it, & abt. this time Philips, the Surgeon 
in Pallmall, reed, a letter from Bunbury describing His state, from which 
Philips had a bad opinion of His condition. — Lord Lonsdale said, that 
Bunbury came from Keswick to Lowther accompanied by a Mr. Spence, 
His neighbour at Keswick ; that it was only a morning visit, — that they 
decHned eating anything but both drank some wine. He remarked that 
Bunbury's breath smelt of Brandy. — 

A Remarkable Woman 

Lord Lonsdale mentioned Mrs. Howe* of Grafton St. a remarkable 
woman aged 89 who has all her faculties perfect, & is constantly en- 
deavouring to acquire knowledge. She lately learnt the Spanish lan- 
guage. Her Husband was a great sportsman, & Hunted much with the 
Old Marquiss of Granby, & at the time she wd. follow him in the field & 
afterwards would enjoy the social parties at the table with the gentlemen. 
— She has been frequently of the King's private parties at Cards. — 

May 14. — Smirke & His family I drank tea with. He told me that the 
Committee of Taste assembled yesterday at the Marquiss of Stafford's, 
voted the monument of Lord Rodney to Rossi, & that of Lord Colling- 
wood to Westmacott. They however proposed to Rossi to alter the 
figure of Lord Rodney & to give the action greater spirit, & gave Him 
three weeks for that purpose. — There were present, Marquiss of Stafford, 
— R. P. Knight, — C. Long, Wm. Lock, & Lord Carysfort. — The monu- 
ment of Lord Rodney is to be 6000 guineas ; Lord Collingwood 4500 
ditto. 

Milne the Architect 

May 15. — I had company to dinner. — Robert Smirke attended the 
funeral of Milne, the Architect, at St. Paul's on Monday last at 8 in the 
morning. He died on Monday the 6th. inst. aged 79. — He had from 
abt. Christmas last lived entirely at His House at Islington near the 

* The Hon. Caroline Howe, widow of John Howe, of Hanslope, Bucks. She died at 
12, Grafton Street, on June 29th, 18 14, at the age of 93 years. 

Walpole refers to her in a letter to the Misses Berry (his " twin wives ") in this fashion : 
" If Lord Howe has disappointed you will you accept the prowess of the virago, his sister, 
Mrs. Howe ? " But in a footnote to this letter (dated December 14th, 1793), we are told 
that Walpole had been misinformed as to her character. She was a person of distinguished 
abiUties, which she retained unimpaired, as Lord Lonsdale states, by continued exercise 
of her remarkable powers of thought and concentration. To these acquirements " must 
be added warm and Hvely feeUngs, joined to a perfect knowledge of the world, and of the 
society of which she had always been a distinguished member." See Vol. V., page 9. 



272 The Farington Diary [I8II 

Water works, He being Surveyor of the New River, which place He had 
held more than 40 years. — During this period He had no positive illness 
but felt a disinclination to going abroad. Thus He went on till a short 
time before His Death having arisen in the morn'g as usual. He soon 
after said He wd. go to bed again which He did. He was sensible to the 
last. 

He had been a man of great application to business, & it was remark- 
able that throughout the winter as well as Summer Season He had sat 
while employed in a room situated over water, very damp & witht. afire. 
He disregarded also the state of His Cloaths & Linen & wd. put on a Shirt 
saturated with dampness. — He was a man much disposed to conversation 
& drank wine at & after His meals freely. — He was extremely exact 
in all his affairs, & noted & lotted all His concerns with great care. — 
He left one Son who succeeds Him in the Office of Surveyor of the New 
River a place of abt. £1000 a year, & to Him He bequeathed property 
to the amount of 8 or ^^900 a year. — He also left 4 daugrs, for whom He 
also provided. 



CHAPTER LXXVII 

1811 

Lord Courtenay 

May 17. — Dr. Fisher of Exeter, Brother to the Bishop of Salisbury 
called. — He told me Mr. Morton of Exeter, an excellent magistrate, was 
alone the person who by His determined conduct brought the proceedings 
against Lord Courtney to a point which obliged Him to secure His safety 
by leaving the Kingdom. Mr. Morton had solicited other magistrates 
to concur with Him in His exertion for this purpose but they on one 
pretence or other declined it. He took the Depositions against His 
Lordship, one of them was to a fact, — the other to an attempt, — Lord 
Courtney had affected to disregard any proceedings against Him, saying 
that should He be accused before the Lords they most of whom He said 
were like Himself would not decide against Him. Thus shameless was 
He in His mind ; but when He was informed that the Officers of Justice 
were ordered to pursue Him, He lost all resolution, — wept like a child, 
and was willingly taken on board a Vessel, the first that could be found, 
an Am^ ican Ship, and passed there under a feigned name. 

Afi^- He had been on board sometime He asked whether He might 
not be called by His own name, but was told it would be dangerous on 
acct. of the Sailors whose prejudice against [him] might have bad effects. 
— He had made a Will & bequeathed His vast property. One of His 
Sisters, an unmarried Lady, resided with Him. To Her He bequeaths 
^1600 a year provided she does not marry, a strong trait of His disposition 
& mind. — 

Copley's Unpopularity 

May 20. — [James] Heath I met, who expressed the great pleasure 
He felt in having finished His plate of the " death of Lord Nelson " from 
West's picture, which had been a very heavy task witht. affording him 
amusement. The engraving of Coats & Waistcoats He sd. was dry 
work. — Spoke of Copley's situation since the finishing of Sharpe's plate 
of " The Siege of Gibraltar." He said that there was such indifference 
abt. it on the part of the Public that a small proportion only of the Sub- 
scribers had required the Prints ; many being dead, & others not wishing 

VOL. VI. 273 18 



274 The Farington Diary [I8II 

for it ; that not more than ;^6oo had been reed. — two-thirds of which 
was to be paid to Sharpe to discharge His demand for engraving the 
Plate. — That in consequence Copley is reduced to the necessity of dis- 
posing of whatever property He has. His House is mortgaged and must 
be sold. He spoke of Copley being very unpopular as an Artist. — 

Edridge called on me to know whether Lady Stamford could see the 
Exhibition on a Sunday. I told Him that there was now a rule against 
it. — He spoke of the Royal Academy & of any prospect there might be 
of His being admitted a Member. I told Him the Law which excluded 
artists who practised in water-colours only, was rescinded & of course 
He was elligible ; that He must Himself know how He stood with the 
Members, & could judge of their disposition towards Him ; that His 
works had always been exhibited in a manner to show they were considered 
with respect, and that there were now Six vacancies of Associates. 

Waste of Human Life 

May 21. — Lady Mary Lowther I called on & found Her preparing 
for Painting. She & Her Sisters told me of accts. being reed, of Lord 
Wellington having obtained a victory over Massena, near Almeida, on 
the 5 th. of this month. — She told me it is very well known that France 
is now very much drained of men in consequence of the vast waste of 
human life caused by Buonaparte's ambitious attempts. — 

May 22.— Philips, the Surgeon, I met. He told me Henry Bunbury 
who died at Keswick on the 7th inst. had found His stomach begin to fail 
& weakness to come on, abt. Christmas last & from that time He de- 
clined till He died. Philips said He had lived freely, and had been in 
the habit of drinking Brandy. He said Bunbury was Sixty-one years old. — 

A Noble Dane 

I dined alone. — Jens Wolff's* I went to in the evening with West, 
Lawrence & Northcote, and found much company. His great rooms, 

* Jens Wolff (1767-1845) was a son of George Wolff (1736-1828), a native of Christiania, 
who came to London in 1759, and a year later married Elizabeth Gorham (i 742-1 770). 
They lived in Wellclose Square, where the old Danish church was, and in 1767 he and his 
brother Ernest started a business in timber and shipbroking that became a very prosperous 
concern. George was naturalised in that year. 

In 1783 the Wolffs took into partnership George's son-in-law, John Dorville, of Ravens- 
court Park, which is now pubHc property and the old Dorville mansion a public Ubrary. 
The firm's offices, at first in Wellclose Square (to the north of the London Docks), were 
afterwards situated at i, John Street, America Square, Minories. This property is still 
owned by Mrs. Crispe (widow of T. Crispe, K.C.), who is a granddaughter, on the female 
side, of Jens Wolff. In due time Jens joined the firm of Wolff and Dorville and was 
appointed joint Danish Consul with his father in 1793. 

Young Wolff married Hester, probably a daughter of the Rev. Edmund Marshall, of 
Charing, Kent, and their " Salon " at Sherwood Lodge, Battersea (next to York House 



1811] The Elgin Marbles 275 

viz. : Statue Gallery &c. being open. With musick, tea, Ices &c. were 
given. We staid till half-past Eleven oClock. — His casts of figures 
from the antique are fine. We looked much at that from the Barberini 
Faun. West observed that Annibal Carrach had formed himself very 
much upon it, — but excellent as it is, West remarked that it is of a 
lower quality of art than the works of Phidias brought by Lord Elgin 
from Athens, viz : The Theseus, &c. — 

West told us that the Government (Mr. Perceval &c.), had declined 
purchasing Lord Elgin's marbles. — His collection brought from Athens. 
Lawrence said it was to be lamented that the Minister should be a Man 
whose mind is narrowed by Professional Habits, (The Law) so as to be 
insensible to enlarged views of what it is proper for a great Empire 
to do with respect to the arts. — 

Edinburgh Reviewers 

May 23. — I dined with Lawrence. — We talked of the Edinburgh 
Reviewers. Fuseli said, Their Criticisms or Reviews are written more 
to display themselves than for just & properly proportioned criticism. — 
They make the work they criticise merely " a Peg to hang themselves 
upon." — The criticism of Jefferies on Southey's " Curse of Kehama " 
He sd. " is carried to a length beyond all bounds, that which might have 
been expressed in a few pages is extended to an Essay." — 

Much conversation was had on West's picture of " Christ healing the 
Sick," and the exaggerated praise of it which is so much kept up in the 
Newspapers was thought disgusting. Lawrence insisted much on the 
excellence of the character & expression of the Head of the Sick Man 
carried ; and on the force and management of the general effect. Fuseli 
was so little satisfied with the Picture as to declare He wd. not have been 
the Painter of it for double the three thousand guineas given for it. — 

and Tudor Lodge), became a meeting-place for artists, authors, and people eminent in 
Society. On each birthday of the Danish Prince Regent the Wolffs hoisted the Danish 
flag, and a salute was fired from a small battery facing the river. The gallery referred to 
by Farington was designed by Sir Robert Smirke. 

Jens Wolff was a great traveller. On one occasion he drove his own " Berline " from 
Calais to Rome, and published two books (1801 and 18 14) containing accounts of some of 
his travels. 

It appears that that close intimacy of Jens and his father vnth people in official circles 
enabled them to drop a hint to Copenhagen of the projected British attack on Denmark 
in 1807. The warning, however, was unheeded, as the Danish Legation in London did 
not believe the rumour. Mainly through losses caused by the war between Britain and 
Denmark, Wolff and DorviUe became bankrupt, and Jens sold Sherwood Lodge, it becoming 
the property of Mrs. Fitzherbert. 

A portrait of beautiful Mrs. Jens Wolff was painted in 1816 by Lawrence, whose name 
was associated with hers in the general scandal that caused a separation between husband 
and wife. She died in 1829. Jens married again — and again on his second wife's death 
in 1844, but he himself also died in the following year, when on a visit to London, which 
he had left for Copenhagen after he was made a Knight of the Dannebrog and a Danish 
State Councillor. See Vols. IIL, IV., V. 

VOL. VI. 18* 



276 The Farington Diary [1811 

Restoration 

May 24. — I had company at home. We talked of the restoration 
of the outside of Henry yths Chapel at Westminster Abbey, now carrying 
on. Stothard & Flaxman thought it a very proper work, the latter 
however deprecating doing anything in the inside of the Abbey. — Flax- 
man spoke strongly against the alterations made in Salisbury Cathedral 
under the direction of Wyatt's alterations which have very much affected 
the character of the Choir, & in respect of the tombs which He removed 
in many instances done with great absurdity. — 

Serjeant Heath Saw Buonaparte 

Heath spoke of His Son (a Barrister)* who went to Paris the last 
Autumn & was there [as] a guest in the house of Denon who is at the 
Head of the Commission of Arts. The unpopularity of Buonaparte 
was manifest. The Conscriptions had rendered men so scarce that the 
expense of providing a substitute was very great. In Paris ^700 had been 
paid for a substitute. — Heath Junr. was surprised when He first saw 
Buonaparte as He sd. " a little Pot-bellied man, with a swarthy fat face, 
witht. expression." — Of the alteration in His appearance Buonaparte 
is sensible & will not now sit to any artist for His portrait, but when it 
is required will have it copied from some work formerly executed when 
His person and face were different & of better form. — The Bourbon 
family, He sd. are not at all thought of in France. Should Buonaparte 
be no more the Bourbons wd. not be looked to to be His successors. — 

Woodforde spoke of Sir Richard Hoare's History of Wiltshire, which 
had employed Him for twelve years past. He said Sir Richard is a 
Shy man to Strangers, but liberal, and very steady in his attachments. 
Heath complained of Sir Richard's behaviour to him, as that to be ex- 
pected from one who looks down upon you as one not entitled to 
respect. — 

* George Heath, Serjeant-at-Law. 



CHAPTER LXXVIII 

1811 

The Fiddler and the Lady 

May 25. — Fuseli spoke of Peter Denyss* who married the daugr. 
of the late Earl of Pomfret, Lady Charlotte Fermor. — Denyss is the Son 
of a native of Geneva, who was a Fiddler, & Fuseli believes played on 
the Fiddle at the English Opera House. 

Eventually Lady Charlotte inherited ^4000 a year besides other 
property, all of which Denyss enjoys. He is vigilant in looking after 
His money concerns ; and has much improved Lord Pomfrets estates 
particularly lead mines in Yorkshire. He has several children by Lady 
Charlotte who is of a gloomy turn of mind. His eldest Son has married 
a Miss Hill against the consent of Denyss, who will not at present, 
acknowledge Him. Denyss is a performer on the Violin, & often gives 
expensive musical entertainments. — He bought the House built by 
Holland,! the Architect, near Sloane St. & has a House at Bath. — 

Kemble and Wine 

May 29. — Robt. Smirke dined with Kemble on Sunday and sd. Kemble 
now drinks no wine, & by forbearing from it has been relieved from Head- 
aches &c. Lawrence remarked that Kemble had many times done so, 
but when tempted has again drank wine. He is, sd. He, like Dr. Johnson : 
He can abstain but not refrain ; if He drinks wine at all He has no limit 
in doing it, & it makes Him quite Childish in mind & manner. — 

Fuseli & Northcote spoke much of Opie's powers in conversation. 
Fuseli said He had in this greater vigour than in his painting. Northcote 
particularly dwelt on his originality of thinking. — " He said so many 
things which sunk into the mind ; that which you could not forget." 

A Project that Failed 

June 1. — Miss Brooke spoke of Mr. Troward,t the Solicitor, and 
of the great change in His circumstances caused by His having engaged 

* See Vol. I., page 78. 

t See Vols. I., II. 

X See Vol. II., page 267. 

277 



278 The Farington Diary [isii 

in a speculation to make Soap upon some new principle by which He 
had been flattered with the expectation of getting an immense fortune. 
At the time He embarked His property in it He was in a state of genteel 
independence, kept His Coach, and had prepared for quitting His pro- 
fession. His eldest Son was abt. going to one of the Universities, pre- 
paratory to His studying in the Temple. The Project failed ; much of 
His property was sunk in it ; His Coach was laid down, and He felt it 
necessary to resume the practise of His profession, at a period when less 
able to exert Himself, being subject to gout, and more advanced in years. 
His son could not be supported upon the plan which had been proposed 
for Him, but was placed with Mr. Saml. Girdlestone, who is a Solicitor, 
to make His way in the ordinary course of proceeding in the Law. — 
Miss Brooke spoke of the exemplary manner in which Mrs. Troward 
(formerly Miss Leigh) submitted to the change in their circumstances. — 
Mr. Troward had some fine pictures, which were sold, & Mr. Hart Davies 
purchased His celebrated picture of " Our Saviour." — 

Westall told me that He was a witness to the marriage Settlement 
of Sir John Carr* & Miss King. She is upwards of 30 years of age, & 
has abt. ^^looo a year. — Mr. Payne Knight told Westall that in deciding 
on Rossi's model for the monument of Lord Rodney, the Committee of 
Taste were unanimous for it. — 

Picture Prices 

June 3. — Lawrence told me that a few days ago Owen called upon 
Him respecting raising His prices for pictures in consequence of having 
heard that Lawrence had done so. He said that sometime since He 
had raised His price of a Three-quarter portrait to 35 guineas. — Lawrence 
having now raised His price to 80 guineas recommended to Owen to 
advance His to 50 guineas. — Owen told Lawrence that in His considera- 
tion of prices if Lawrence knew what He had said of Lawrence being 
above competition in respect of his merit He wd. be satisfied that no other 
artist cd. be placed on a footing with Him. — 

Buonaparte's Defeats 

On our way home, after tea, I stopped sometime at Lysons's Chambers 
in the Temple where we read the Gazette acct, of the Sanguinary Battle 
at Albuera in Spain between the Allied Army of British, Portuguese, & 
Spaniards commanded by General Beresford with the French army 
commanded by Marshal Soult, in which the former were victorious. — 

Lawrence sd. He dined lately in company with Sir Sidney Smith & 
Lord Burghersh.f The latter, who had served in the Army in Spain 
& Portugal, was of opinion that Buonaparte would give up His 
attempt on those countries shd. He suffer a few more defeats ; Sir Sidney 

* Author of books of travel. See Vols. I., II. and V. 

•j" Ernest, Lord Burghersh, afterwards eleventh Earl of Westmorland. See Vol. I. 



1811] Constable on Nature and Art 279 

Smith, on the contrary thought that Buonaparte would never give it up, 
but, at last with an overwhelming force wd. sweep everything before 
Him. — 

June 4. — Constable called. He had been 3 weeks in the Country, 
and had there been painting from nature. On His coming to town 
yesterday He went immediately to the Exhibition to feel what effect 
art wd. have upon His mind after studying nature. He said He saw 
many pictures which were altogether works of art, such as might be 
painted by studying pictures only, — He also saw in some pictures studied 
from nature & other parts all art. — 



Turner's Caution 

June 8. — Earl Grey has expressed a wish to have Turner's large 
picture " Mercury & Herse," & expressed that He would give 500 guineas 
for it, or it was so understood ; but a report has been circulated that the 
Prince of Wales alluded to this picture particularly in his speech at the 
Academy, it being a composition in the manner of Claude, and that He 
had purchased it, which, not being the case. Turner has been embarassed 
abt. it & under these circumstances with His usual caution, will not 
name a price when asked by His acquaintance. — I noticed to Calcott 
the high prices which Turner had for His pictures. He said that when 
Turner first opened His gallery He hesitated whether He shd. ask one 
or two hundred guineas for about a Half length size picture ; and deter- 
mined on the larger sum, as in that case if He sold only Half the number 
He might otherwise do His annual gain would be as much & His trouble 
less. — 

He spoke of Sir George Beaumont's continued cry against Turner's 
pictures, but said Turner was too strong to be materially hurt by it. 
Sir George He sd. acknowledged that Turner had merit, but it was of a 
wrong sort, & therefore on acct. of the seducing skill displayed shd. 
be objected to, to prevent its bad effects in inducing others to imitate 
it. — 

He spoke of the great change in the disposition of the public to purchase 
Water Colour drawings at the Exhibitions of these Societies ; said it 
shewed How temporary public opinion is ; How much of fashion there 
is in liking any particular kind of art ; and added that He believed Sir 
George Beaumont had done much harm to the Water Colour painters 
by His cry against that kind of art. — 

June 9. — [Lestock] Wilson I dined with. — Mr. Lelyveldt was 
formerly Secretary to the Dutch Ambassador. He spoke of Buonaparte, 
& said, " There had been many great & extraordinary men, in all of whom 
there had been some mixture of virtue with crime & vice, but Buonaparte 
had not a single virtue, in this respect He was an exception." 



280 The Farington Diary [1811 

AMERICAN PRAISE OF FARINGTON 

In the Atlantic Monthly, America's leading literary magazine, Mr. Wilbur C. Abbott, 
reviewing the Farington Diary, writes : 

The contents, and especially the form, of these memories are not so picturesque as 
those of its great predecessor [Pepys], but they are not far behind. And we are peculiarly 
fortunate in having a first-hand picture of the great days of the Revolution and Napoleon 
from the pen of one who, artist as he was, had an acquaintance and interest which brought 
him into touch with almost every kind of man and every side of life of his generation. 
Not even Horace Walpole, scarcely even Pepys, had so many contacts, or managed to record 
them more vividly than did this newly discovered diarist. 

And perhaps Farington, who was so confident of being remembered, who, fortunately 
for that confidence, refrained from destroying his diaries as he first intended, could not 
have found a better time than this to have them discovered and printed. For there is 
one characteristic of this fascinating volume which wiU make its appeal not only to the 
student of history and the lover of art but to the so-called " general reader." It is the 
sense of " modernness " — by which we mean resemblance to ourselves — in these pages. 
It is as if we opened our windows and looked out upon the world passing by us a hundred 
years ago. More than that ; it is as if we somehow came to know the men and women 
of that earher age, so like our own, and yet so different. Nor is that interest confined 
to England, nor even to the Continent. For here we find some of the most interesting 
and instructive comments on America and Americans after the Revolution which have 
found their way to print, gossip brought by West and Trumbull, notes of Washington 
and his contemporaries, of public opinion here, and English opinion of America ; most of 
all the sentiments of George III. regarding his late subjects. 



END OF VOL. VI. 



INDEX 



Abbot, John W. (Apothecary and Artist), 

1 68, 177 
Abbott, Wilbur C, Review of the diary, 280 

Abercorn, Lord, 204 

Abercrombie, Monument of General in 
St. Paul's, 229 

Aberdeen, Lord, 65 

Abingdon, Mrs. (Actress), 66 

Aboyne, Charles, Earl of, 5 1 

Academy, Royal, gift to J. Farington, 9 ; 
election of Academician, 10 ; Council 
of and Sir John Soane's lectures, 12 ; 
law passed, 185 H. Howard elected 
deputy secretary, 29 ; and catalogue, 
47 ; theft at, 71, 88 ; and British Insti- 
tution, 106 ; filling vacancies, 206 ; and 
secretary, 219 5 and Prince of Wales, 
219 ; election of Academicians, 239 ; 
exhibition at, 262 ; catalogues, 267^ 

Ackland, Sir Thomas Dyke, loth Baronet, 
180 and n. ; and Varley, 181 

, Colonel (uncle of Sir Thomas), 181 

Adams (American schooner), 160 

" Adieu of Brutus and Portia," by Dubost, 
75« 

Agar, Dr. C. See Normanton, Earl of 

Ainslie, Dr. Henry, 209 and n 

Albemarle, Earl of, 163 

Albuera, Battle at, in Spain, 278 

Alexander, Mr. and Rev. S. Sandys, 144 

, William, and British Museum, 22 

and n. ; and Speaker of House of 
Commons, 22, 66 

All Souls' Church, Regent Street, 250 and 
«., 251 

Allen, Mr., of Dulwich College, 235 

Allnutt, Anna (wife of Lord Brassey), 95M 

, John, 95 and n 

, Richard, of Penshurst, 95 and n 

, Mrs. Richard, 95 and 96 

, Rev. Samuel George Joseph, 95« 

Alvanley, Lord, and Walcheren fever, 71 

Amelia, Princess, illness of, 38, 155 ; death 
of, 169; and George IIL, 155, 170, 
171, 198 

America, cost of living and ranks of society, 
245 ; Quakers in, 246 ; absence of 
poverty, 246 



Anderdon, James Hughes, 267 and «., 270 
" Anecdotes of Painters," by E. Edwards, 

241 
Angerstein, Mr., 52, 74, 75, 78, 84, 91, 165, 

205, 225 

, Mrs. J. A., 44 

Annual Register, The, 80 

Anson, Frigate, The, Wreck of, 123, 124 

Anson, Lord, 106 

Antiquary Society, 12, 41 

Arbouin, Mr., and Spiritualism, 246 

Arden, Lord, 39 

Artists' Fund, formation of, 67 and n 

Arundell, James Everard, 9th Baron, 147 

and M 
Ash, Dr., 15 
Ashburton, Devonshire, 146 

, Lord, 193 

Asperne, Mr. (Bookseller, Cornhill), 233 
Astley's Theatre, 215 
Atlantic Monthly on Farington, 280 
Aytoun, John, 65 



" Bacchus and Ariadne," by Bone, 232 
Bacon, Miss Gertrude, 46K 

, John, R.A., 34, 46K., 70 

Bagshaw and Budd (Publishers), 87 

Bailey, Mr. Justice, 87 

, Mr. (Surgeon in East Kent Militia), 

197, 198 
Baillie, Dr., 38, 65, 99, 100, 170 
Baker, George, 22 
Bamfylde, Sir Richard, 156 
Bankes, Henry, 70, 72 
Banks, Sir Joseph, 62, 206, 207, 233 
Barclay, Capt., 21 1« 
Baring Brothers, 137^ 

, Sir Francis, 98, 137 and w., 181 

, John, 181, 187, 191 

Barker, Mr. (Artist, of Bath), 248 
Barlow, Sir George Hilaro (Governor of 

Madras), 102 and n 
Barnard, General, 235 
, Mrs. (sister of Mr. Beaumont, Whitley), 

235 
, Sir Thomas, 36, 54, 77 

Barrett, George, R.A., 184 



284 The Farington Diary 


Barrett, Miss (daughter of George Barrett, 


Blackwall Docks, 97 


R-A.), 7S> 79 


Blagden, Sir Charles, 23 and « 


, Mrs. (widow of George Barrett, R.A.), 


Blake, William, 77 


59 


Blane, Dr., 63 


Barrow, Mr. (Under-Secretary at Ad- 


Blombergh, Major, and Spiritualism, 247 


miralty), 24 


, Rev. Mr., 247 


Barry, James, R.A., 74, 145, 184, 225 


Blore, Mr. (Master Builder), death of, 


Bartlam, Rev. Thomas, M.A., 162 and «., 


48 


182 


Blundell, Henry, of Ince, Lancashire, 227 


Barton, Patterson, Lt.-Col. and Mrs. 


and ft 


Jerome Patterson, 246M 


Bodmin, Cornwall, 134 and k., 144 


Basset, Barony of, iju 


Bolton, Mr., of Windermere, 227 


■ , Francis, 17, 123??.; and General 


, Mr. (Writing Master to Princess 


Johnston, 129 and n 


Charlotte of Wales), and his defal- 


Bassett, the Misses, 141 


cations, 69 


Bath, 6 


Bonaparte, Jerome, and Miss Patterson, 


Batt, Mr. (Agent to Lord Clifford), 150 


245, 246 


Beaumont, Sir George, 17, 20, 34, 35, 36, 


, Joseph, 142 


37, 39, 42, 48, 56 5 and Haydon, 58, 


, Louis, 142 


70 ; " Conway Castle," 98, 223 ; and 


, Lucien, 140, 236 and n 


Haydon, 231, 254, 264, 268, 279 


, Napoleon. See Napoleon I., 202 ; 


, John (brother of Mr. Beaumont, of 


death of, 224, 228, 235 


Whitley), 235 


Bone, Henry, R.A., 212, 218, 232, 239, 


, Lady, 35 ; on Wordsworth, 36 ; and 


251, 266 and n 


Coleridge, 36 


Boringdon, John, 2nd Lord, 228 


, Mr., of Whitley, Yorks, 235 


, Sarah Fane, Lady (first wife of 


, Rev. Dr., 235 


2nd Lord), 228 


Beckford, Miss Susan E., 51 


Boscawen, Hugh, ist Baron of Boscawen- 


, WilHam, of Fonthill, 35, 51 


Rose, i35« 


Bedford, Duchess of, 83 


Bourgeois, Sir P. F., R.A., 18, 25, 26; 


Square, loi 


and Duke of Gloucester, 27 ; and 


Beechy, Sir W., R.A., 18, 50, 71, 76, 237, 


Stroehling, 76, 84; and Wyatt, 93, 


243, 249, 263 


201, 202 


Bellchamhers and Son, and De Cort, 130 


Bourne, Mr. Stourges, 156, 157 


Benson, John, of Doncaster, 77« 


Bowes, A. R., death of, i and n 


Bent, Mr. (Apothecary), 228 


Bowles, Charles, 157, 222, 266 


Beresford, General, 215, 278 


" Bowles, Miss," by Sir Joshua Reynolds, 


, Mr. (brother to Mrs. T. Hope), and 


ic,6n 


" Beauty and the Beast," 74 


, Mr. Oldfield, death of, 156, 222 


Berkeley, Frederick Augustus, 5th Earl of. 


Boyles, Admiral Charles, 63 


106 


Boydell, J., Alderman, 32 


, Lady, 235 


, Messrs. (PubUshers), 56-57, 82 


Bernard, Sir Thomas, 249, 250, 258 


Brandling, Rev. Mr., 157 


Bertie, Hon. Willoughby, drowned, 221 


Brassey, Lord (wife of), 95« 


Bertinotti, Terese, Madame, at the King's 


Breweries, the twelve first in 1810, i 


Theatre, 234 and n 


Bristol Hotwells, 5 1 


Best, Mr., and Lord Camelford, 140 


Britannia Deficta, 55, 91, 225, 267 


Beverly, Lady, 44 


British Institution, 106, 219, 220, 232, 252, 


Bianchi, Madame, 234 and « 


258, 266, 268 


Bibliotheca Classica, by Lempriere, 189 


Museum, Trustees, and W. Alexander, 


Bickley, 95, 98 


21 ; and Sir F. Bourgeois, 201 


Bigg, William Redmore, R.A., 222, 225, 


Brockedon, William, F.R.S., 230 and n. ; 


23^5 239 


" Vision of the Chariots to Zechariahj" 


Bird, Edward, " Village Choristers," 89 


and " A View of Laodicea," 230M 


Black Man, Remarkable specimen of figure. 


Brooke, Miss, 277 


105 


Brooke's Club, St. James's Street, 188 


Blackball, Dr., of Exeter, 199 


Brown, Mr. (Traveller in Egypt), 15 



Index 



285 



Buchanan, Mr. (Picture Dealer), 51, 251 

and « 
Buckler, John, and Society of Antiquaries,4i 
Buller, Sir Edward, 270 
Bullfinch, Miss (Mrs. Ramsay Reinagle), 263 
Bunbury, Sir Charles, 271 

, Henry, of Keswick, 270, 274 

Burdett, Sir Francis, committed to the 

Tower, 34; refuses to submit, 35; 

riots concerning, 37 ; taken by armed 

force, 39 ; and Lady Oxford, 44 ; 

petition in favour of, 45 ; people insult 

Horse Guards, 59 ; leaves the Tower, 73 
Burgess, Dr., Bishop of St. Davids, 89 
Burgh, Captain (Aide-de-Camp to Lord 

Wellington), 149 
Burghersh, Lord Ernest, 278 
Burke, Edmund, 74, 107, 135 

, Mrs., of Beaconsfield, 66 

Burney, Miss Fanny, 6^n 
Burns, Robert, 94 and n., i6gn 
Burroughs, Mr. (Rev. Lynch Salusbury), 

89 and n 
Bute, Marquis of, 193 
Byfield, Mr. (Architect), 4 
Byrne, William (Engraver), 269 
Byron, Lord, on Fitzgerald, 80 



Cadell and Davis, Messrs., 14 ; new 
edition of Stowe's " London and 
Westminster," 14, 46, 50, 54, 63, 67, 
79, 91, 105, 209, 221, 267 

Cadiz, Spain, 45 

Callcott, Sir A. Wall, R.A., 4, 6, 10, 50, 
59, 203, 206, 242, 258, 262, 265, 279 

Calnut, the Misses, 185 

Cambridge, Duke of, 71 

Camelford, Thomas, 2nd Lord, 116 and n., 
140 

Campion, Mr., 186 

Canning, George, Portrait by Lawrence, 
28 ; and Mr. Windham, 28, 29 and n., 

355 241 
Canterbury, Archbishop of, 131 

Cathedral, 131 

" Canterbury Pilgrims," by Stothard, 77K 
Cardon, and Lawrence, 92 
Carew, Mr. Pole, 27 

, Richard, 135 and n 

, Thomas, 13 5" 

Carlisle, Earl of, 172 

, Sir Anthony, 15, 43, 59, 65, 66, 73, 

855 1055 217 
Carlton House, 70 

Tavern, 49 

Carn, Rev. Mr., at^Exeter, 162, 178 



Carpue, Joseph Constantine (Surgeon), and 

Princess Amelia, 198 
Carr, Sir John (Author), 278 
Carysfort, Lord, i6k., 70, 268 
Cashel, Bishop of, i6n 
Castlereagh, Robert, Viscount, 35 ; and 

Lord Camden, 37, 87 
Catalani, Madame A., 79, 234 and n 
Cavendish, Lord George, and Hon. Henry, 

25 

, Hon. Henry, F.R.S., death of, 23 

and n., 25 
Cawsand, no 
Ceylon, The (East Indiaman), captured by 

French, 202, 203 « 
Chaleographic Society of Engravers, 64 
Chalon, H. B., 50 
Chamberlain, Mr., 24 and «., 60 

, Mr., of Southampton, 203 

Chambers's Dictionary, 182 

Chambers's Journal, 46K 

Champ ernowne, Mr. (Collector), 230 

and n 
Champneys, Mr., 68 
" Charity," 54^ 
Charlemont, Earl of, i8i« 
Charlotte, Princess, of Wales, 69 

Row, Maryleboiae, 12 and n 

Chatham, ist Earl of, 116 

Chauncey, Dr., 51 

Cheese- Wring, The, Liskeard, 112 

Chesterfield, Lord, 5th Earl, 105, 209 

Chislehurst Church, 261 

" Christ Healing the Sick," by West, 250 

" Christ Receiving the Little Children," 

by R. Westall, 24 
Christie, James (Auctioneer), 4, 44, 79, 

145 and «., 240, 266 
Clarence, Duke of, 49, 264 
Clarke, Dr., 238 

, Mr. (American Collector), ijn 

, Mr. (Chamberlain of City of Lon- 
don), 32 

, Stanier, 209 

Claude, " SInon before Priam," 44; " The 

Enchanted Castle," 51 
Cleaver, Dr., Bishop of Chester, 216, 235 
Cleveley, Robt. (Marine Painter) 21 

and n 
Clifford, Charles, 6th Baron of Chudlelgh^ 

F.S.A., 147 and n 
CHne, Mr. (Surgeon), 261 
Clinton, Lord, 146 
Clive, Lord, 75 

, Lord, 104 

Coade, Mrs. (mother of Seaman Jeffery), 
115, 116, 159 



286 The Farington Diary 


Cobbett, William, 70 ; on Fitzgerald, 


Cromek (Engraver), 77» 


8o«. ; sentenced to two years in New- 


Cross readings, 7 and n 


gate, 87 and K., 105 


Crotch, Dr., 234 


Cochrane, Admiral, 9M 


Cumberland, Duke of, 69 


Cole, Madame, and Chevalier D'Eon, 62 




, Mary, Lady Berkeley, 236 and n 


D ALTON, Richard (Artist), i8i« 


Coleridge, Samuel Taylor, 36, 167 


Dance, Captain, 215 


Collingwood, Admiral, 102 


, George, R.A., 10, 11, 20, 21, 22, 24, 


Collins, William, R.A. (father of Wilkie 


42, 55, 63, 70, 83, 102, 104, 202, 243 


Collins, Novelist), 232 and «., 257, 265 


Daniell, Dr., of Exeter, 192, 193, 199 


" Committee of Taste," 70, 271, 278 


, Thomas, R.A., 12 and «., 55, 102 


Common Council of City of London and 


and K., 103, 218, 262 


George IIL, 173 


, WilHam, 24 5 and tea plant, 24, 63, 


Comrie, Mr. (Solicitor), 105 


70, 102, 103, 104, 212, 237, 238 


Constable, John, R.A., 17, 30, 66, 78, 88, 


" Dantatus," by Haydon, 231 


217, 231, 250, 254, 258, 262, 265, 279 


Dardanelles, The, 63 


Cooke, Mr. (Saddler at Exeter), 155 


Dartmouth, George, 3rd Earl of, 77, 171 


Cookson, Dr. William, 69, 252 


and «., 193«., 266 


Cooper, Captain, 83 


David, Jacque Louis, Jjn 


Copeland, Mr. H., and Covent Garden 


Davies, Mr. Hart, of Bristol, 77, 78, 278 


Theatre, 27 


Dawe, George, R.A., 105, 217, 220, 232, 263 


Copley, John L., R.A., 78, 104 ; and 


Day^ ThCj and Royal Academy Lectures, 60 


Sharp, 104, 242, 273 


De Berdt, Mr. (Bookseller), 105 


Cork, Lady, 66 


Decaen, Charles Mathieu Isidore, General, 


Cornish " No, No Sir, No," 1 14 


242 and n 


Cornwall, 116; early marriages, 117; 


De Cort Hendrik, death of, 79, 130, 136 


Methodists, 117; parliamentary 


de Dunstanville, Lady, 17?!., 27 


boroughs in, 131; cHmate of, 132; 


, Lord, 17; and Hoppner, 25; and 


character of people, 133, 134 


Wilkie, 27 ; duel with Sir Christopher 


, John, 1 1 and n 


Hawkins, 32, 78, 89, 123, 130, 139, 140, 


, Mrs. (daughter of Lady Gardner, 


141, 144, 149, 252, 254, 255, 257, 269 


Sen.), 244 


Delue, Jean Andre, 38 and n 


Correggio, 36, 44 


Denon, Dominique Vivant, 207 


Cort, Hendrik de, death of, 79 


Denoyer, Mr. (dancing master to Royal 


Cory, Mr. (Chaplain of Dulwich College), 


Family), 32 


235 


Denyss, Peter, 277 


Cosway, Richard, R.A." Venus and Cupid," 


D'Eon, Chevaher, burial of, 62 ; question 


71M. ; and Bone, 212 


of sex, 62 


" Cottagers, The," by W. Woollett, 98 


Derby, Lord, 261 


Cottin, Lieut.-Col., 214W 


Desenfans, Noel Joseph, 201, 225, 235 


Courtenay, Lord, 147, 148, 273 


Devaynes & Co. (Bankers), in Bankruptcy, 


Covent Garden New Theatre, 6, 27 


213 


Garden Theatre, Kemble and private 


" Devil's Bellows, The," 122 


boxes, 85, 211 


Devis, A. W., 67 


Cowper, Countess Dowager, 31 


Devonshire House, 52 


, Lord, 28 


, William, 5 th Duke of, and Sir Joshua 


Coxe, L., 245 


Reynolds, 52 


J Mrs., and America, 246 


Dick, Dr. William, 35 and n 


, Rev. Wm., of Bemerton, 11 


Digby, Edward, 2nd Earl, 131 


Craig, Sir James Henry (Governor-General 


Dilettante Society, The, 22 


of Canada), 3 and « 


" Distraining for Rent," by Sir D. Wilkie, 


Crawford, Earl of, i6« 


29^ 


Crewe, Lady, 66 and n 


Dixon, Mr. (Printer), 252 


Cribb, champion boxer, and a black man 


Dodd, Dr. (tutor to Lord Chesterfield), 


contest, 211 and n 


106 


Crispe, Mrs. (widow of T. Crispe, K.C.), 


, Major (private secretary to Duke of 


274B 


Kent), 71 



Index 



287 



Doddington, Bubb, 142 

Domenichino's " St. Cecilia," 251 

Don Quixote, History of, by Smirke 

suggested, 50, 54, 221 
Dorville, John, of Ravenscourt Park, 274W 
Douglas, Canon William, 38 
, Mr. (relation of Duke of Queens- 
berry), 218 

, Mr. (son of Bishop of Salisbury), 109 

Douglass, Marquis of, married, 5 1 
Dover Cliffs, fall of part of, 203 
Downman, John, A.R.A. and Miss Jackson, 

167 and ?z., 177, 193 
Drummond, Rev. Mr., 51 

, Samuel, A.R.A., 233 and n 

Dryander, Dr. (librarian to Sir Joseph 

Banks,) 239 
Dubost, Antoine, 70 ; "A Beast and a 
Beauty," 70, 74K. ; " View of Hyde 
Park,"75«. ; " Preparation for a Horse 
Race," " Adieu of Brutus and Portia," 
" Mrs. T. Hope and Son," 75»., 84 
Ducros, Pierre, 166 and n 
Dudley, Sir Henry Bate, of Morning Post, 

i%zn 
Dulwich College, 201, 235 
Dummer, Mr., 204 
Dumouriez, Charles Francois (French 

General), 169 and n 
Dundas, Sir David, of the Horse Guards,3 
Dunn, Mrs., and Dr. C. Agar, 98 
Durham, Bishop of, 234 
Dysart, Lionel, 5th Earl of, 88 and n 

East India Company, army of, 2 ; re- 
bellion at Seringapatam, 3 ; defeated 
by King's troops, 3 
" Eau Medicinale," 238 
Eddystone Lighthouse, 1 10 
Edgecumbe, 2nd Earl of Mount-, 1 10 
Edinburgh Review, The, 145, 240, 275 
Edridge, Henry, R.A., 22, 66, 81, 245, 274 
Edv^ards, Mrs. (sister of E. Edwards, 

A.R.A.), 241 
Egremont, Earl of, 54M 
Eldon, Lord Chancellor, 204 
Elford, Sir William, 171, 259 
Elgin, Lord, collection of antiques, 22, 

Elizabeth, Princess, 69 
Ellenborough, Lady, 106 

• , Lord, 17, 87, 105 

Elliot, Sir Gilbert. See Minto, ist Earl of 

Elton, Sir Abraham, Bart., 156 

Ely, Isle of, Local MiUtia, 70 

" Enchanted Castle, The," by Claude, 51 

Englefield, Sir Henry, 41, 66 



Erard (Harp Maker), 240 

Estcott, Mr. (Minor Canon of Exeter 

Cathedral), 197, 198 
Este, Rev. Charles, 86 and n 
Esten, Mrs., 80 
Eumelian Club, 15 
European Magazine, i6n 
Evans, Mr. (Clergyman), 89 
Examiner, The, 16-17, 71 
Exeter, Bishop of, and the Palace, 176 

Cathedral, service at, 162 

City, healthiness of, 198, 199 

Eyck, Van, " Virgin and Child, by, 227M 

Falmouth, Edward Boscawen, ist Earl of, 

135 and n 
Fandango, The, in Spain, 45 
Farington, Eliza (niece of Diarist), no 

, Joseph, R.A., 4, 6, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 

15, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21 and n., 23, 24, 
26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 
36, 375 39) 41, 42, 43) 44) 45) 46, 47? 
48, 49) 50) SI) 52, 54) 55) 56, 60, 62, 
63, 65, 66, 67, 69, 70, 71, 73, 74, 75, 
7(>, 77) 78) 79) 80, 81, 82, 83, 85, 87, 
88, 89, 91, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 
loi, 102, 104, 105, 106, 107 ; journey 
to Salisbury, 108 ; at Salisbury 
Cathedral, 109 ; at Plymouth Dock, 
1 10 ; King's Arms Hotel, 1 10 ; Mount 
Edgecumbe, no; at Liskeard, 112; 
The Cheese-Wring, 112 ; "TheTrevathy 
Stone," 113; The Hurlers, 113; 
blind boatman, 113; Looe Island, 114; 
Polperro, 115; mother of Seaman 
Jeffery, 115; Fowey Church, 117; 
Lostwithiel, 118; Kirclaise tin mine, 
119; St. Austell, 119; Truro, 1205 
Helston, 120 and n. ; Kynance Cove, 
120 ; " The Devil's Bellows," 122 ; 
Lizard Point, 122; Looe Pool, 123; 
Marazion, 126 and n. ; Pengersick 
Castle, 126 ; St. Michael's Mount, 
126; Tehidy, 133; Carn Brea Hill, 
139 and n. ; Illogan Church, 141 ; 
Falmouth, 145 ; Chudleigh, 147 ; 
Exeter, 154, 155; London Inn, 155; 
the Cathedral, 162 ; St. John's Chapel, 
189, 196 ; the Hospital, 200 ; leaves 
Exeter, 200 ; arrives London, 200, 201, 
203, 204, 208, 209, 211, 214, 215, 217, 
218, 220, 221, 224, 225, 228, 229, 231" 
232, 233 ; at the Academy, 234, 235, 
238) 239, 240, 241, 242, 244, 245, 248, 
249) 251, 252, 254, 255, 257, 258, 
259, 261 ; at Royal Academy Exhibi- 
tion, 262, 263 ; annual Exhibition 



288 The Farington Diary 


Farington, Joseph, R.A. — continued. 


George III. — continued. 


Dinner, 264 ; at British Institution, 


and Princess Amelia's ring, 171 ; and 


266, 267, 268, 270, 271, 274 ; at Jen 


the doctors, 208 


Wolff's, 274, 275, 276, 278, 279 


Gethin, Rev. Mr., 84 


, Richard, (brother of Diarist), 1 10, 261 


Gibbs, Sir Samuel, 3 and « 


, William, Admiral, ic^jn 


Giddy, Davies, M.P., 144 and n. ; " Paro- 


, William (nephew of Diarist), 15, 25, 


chial History of Cornwall," 144K 


91 


, Rev. Edward, i44« 


Fermor, Lady Charlotte (daughter of 


Gifford Wm. (Author of " The Baviad "), 4 


Earl of Pomfret,) 277 


Gilman, Mr. (Secretary to Committee of 


Field — , of Bristol, 71, 267 


Taste), 102, 268 


Fielding, William, 261 and « 


Gilpin, Sawrey, R.A., 22, 59 


Finden, Mr. (Publisher), 118 


Glrdlestone, Mr. (Solicitor), 278 


Fisher, Col. (brother to Bishop of Salis- 


Glass, Dr., of Exeter, portrait by Opie, 200 


bury), 63 


Gleaner, H.M.S., at Portreath, 149 


, Dr. (Canon of Exeter Cathedral), 162 


Gloucester, William Frederick, Duke of, 


and «., 171, 177, 182, 189, 192, 196, 


and Wilkle's "The Card Players," 


197, 199) 273 


27, 71 


, Dr. (Master of Charterhouse), 69 


Golding, Edward, of Berkshire, 157 


, Mrs., 69 


Goldsmith, Oliver, and Whitefoord, jn 


Fitzgerald, Lord Robert, 204 


Gordon, Lady Margaret, 5 1 


, William Thomas, 80 and n 


Gore, Charles, of Horkstowe, 31 ; father 


Flamstead House, Greenwich, 82 


of Countess Dowager Cowper, 31 ; 


Flaxman, John, R.A., 10, 12, 18, 20, 34, 


alarmed by Bonaparte, 3 1 ; and Lord 


47, 106, 242, 276 


Cowper, 32 ; and Mr. Denoyer, 32 


Foley House, 250 


Gorham, Elizabeth, 274^ 


Folkes, Sir Martin, 39 


Graham, Catherine, Lady, 251 


Forrester, Edward, 94 


, James (Charlatan), 23 8m 


Fouche, Joseph d'Otrante, 207 and n 


(Lleut.-General In Spain), 252, 254 


Fowey, Cornwall, 1 1 5 and n 


, Sir James, 251 


Freeland, Mr.(Secretary to Post Office), 1 1 


, William, 23 8m 


Freemasons' Tavern, 67 


Grampound, Borough of, 32 


French Revolution, 141 


Granby, Marquess of, 271 


Frere, John Hookham, 5 and «., 35 


Granger, Edmund (Wine Merchant), 164, 


Frogmore, 93 


181 


Froude, Mr. (father of James Anthony, 


" Grecian Marriage Procession, A," by 


the historian), 230M 


R. Westall, R.A., 24 


Fuller, Mr. (M.P. for Sussex), and the 


Green, Valentine, 54 


Speaker, 18; and Turner, 48 


Greenland Dockyard, 97 


" Furry dance. The," I20« 


Greenwich Park, 81 


Fuseli, Henry, R.A., 10, 67, 74, 84, 106, 


Greenwlll, Mr. (Attorney), 235 


222, 254, 275, 277 


Gregory, Miss (daughter of Captain 




Gregory), 238 and « 


Gainsborough, Thomas, R.A., 182; and 


Grenfell, Pascoe, M.P., 213 


William Jackson, 193 and n 


Grenville, Lord, as a Speaker, 6j ; Chan- 


Gambler, James, ist Lord, Admiral, 92 


cellor of Oxford, 88 ; and Lady 


Gardner, Allan Hyde, 2nd Lord, 92 and n 


Boringdon, 228 


, Lady, Senior, 244 


Grey, Lord, best speaker in the House, 67 ; 


Garrick, David, 94 


and Northcote, 81, 279 


Garrow, Mr. (King's Counsel), 216 


Grignion, Charles (Engraver), 171 and « 


Gell, H. (Coroner), 48 


Grose, Mr. Justice, 87 


General Advertiser, The^ i6« 


Grylls, Thomas (Agent to John Rogers), 125 


George 11., King ; and Major Johnston, 130 


Guest, Thomas Douglas, 109 


in., King, piety of, 37 ; and Faring- 


Guildford, Lord, and Bigg, 225 


ton, 46K. ; and Lord Melville, 48 ; 


Gundy, Mr., of Liverpool, 227 
Gwatkin, Robert Lovell, 135 and n 


and the worst Academy, 68 ; Jubilee 


of, 155, 159; indisposition of, 170; 


Gwydir, Lord, 241 



Index 289 


Hagley, 222 and « 


Holland, Henry (Architect), 168 and «., 277 


Halford, Sir H., 38, 170, 238, 243 


, Lord, 170 


Hallet, Mr. (the elder), 31, 32 


, Sir Nathaniel, 204 


Halls, John J. (Portrait Painter), 4 


Holloway, — (Engraver), 64 


Halsey, T. Frederick, and late General 


Holman, Joseph George (Actor), 81 and n 


Johnston, 129M 


Home, Dr. Everard, 140 


Hamilton, Duke of, 80 


, Dr. Pitcairne, 32, 64 ; and Windham, 


, Rev. Dr., 81 


73j 239 


, Sir Alexander, 153 and «., 154, 195 


Hone, Horace, R.A., 100, loin 


Hammond, Rev. Mr. (Rector of Pens- 


Hope, Henry, 130, 136, 142 


hurst), 96 


Hope, Mr. Thomas, 70, 74^ 


Hamond, Rev. Horace, 63 


, Philip, 130 


Hampstead, 4 


Hopner, Belgrave, 4 


Hampton Court, 93 


, Hampden, 4, 83 


Hansard, Junr. (Printer), 87 


, Lascelles, 4, 30, 45, 83, 262 


" Harbour Scene," by Turner, 29« 


Hoppner, John, R.A., death of, 4 ; aware 


Hardinge, Captain Henry, 34, 70 


of his decay, 4 ; proposed to form 


, Viscount, 95« 


club of artists, 3 ; died 23 January, 


Hardwicke, Lord, 48 


1 8 10, 4 ; buried at St. James's Chapel, 


Harrington, Mrs., of Windsor, 37 


Tottenham Court Road, 4 ; and 


Hartley, Thomas, of Bonython, 125 


Dance, 22, 25, 35; "Haley's Life 


Hastings, Warren, 80 


of Romney," 35 ; and Lord Mulgrave, 


Haughton, Moses, 88 and « 


56, 212 


Hawkins, Sir Christopher, duel with Lord 


, Mrs., and her house, 30, 45, 83 


de Dunstanville, 32, 141, 269 


House of Commons, vote on Duke of 


Haydon, B. R., 17 ; and Sir G. Beaumont, 


Wellington's Pension, 13 ; and Sir 


58 and «., 8$, 231 ; " Dentatus," 231, 


Francis Burdett, 34, 39 ; and New 


232 


Loan, 60 ; and King George III., 


Hayes, Sir John M., M.D., 220, 225, 238, 


170 ; and the Regency, 210, 221 


261 


of Lords and King George III., 170 


Hayman, Archdeacon, of Melbourne, i6yn 


Howard, Henry, R.A., 20 ; elected deputy 


Hearne, Thomas, 22, 66, 92 


secretary, R.A., 29, 42, 67, 79, 106, 


Heath, George, 206 and k.; and Bonaparte, 


219 ; and secretary's remuneration, 


207, 276 


229,239,244,259,262,263 


, James (Engraver), 64, 273 


Howe, Hon. Caroline, 271 and n 


Heaviside, Dr. (Surgeon), 201, 224 


" Hubert and Arthur in Prison," by 


Heberden, Dr., 38, 170 ; and George III., 


Northcote, 81 and « 


208 


Hughes, Miss, 80 


Henry VII.'s Chapel, Westminster Abbey, 


, Rev. Dr. (Canon of St. Paul's), 67 ; 


276 


and St. Pancras, 68, 69 and k., 179, 252 


Hertford, Marchioness of, and Prince of 


Humphry, Ozias, death of, 24 and n .; and 


Wales, 250 and « 


Nabob, 70 and «., 81, 82 


, Marquis of, 54« 


Hunt, John, of the Examiner, ijn 


Hesketh, Mr. Bold, 216 


, Leigh, I7« 


, Mr. Fleetwood, of Rosshall, 215 


Hurlers, The, 113 


Hill, Rowland (Methodist Preacher), 225 




Hitchins, Rev. Mr. (Curate of Falmouth), 


Incorporated Society of Artists, 156 


HS 


Insanity and Methodism, 199 


Hoare, Henry (Banker), 181 




, Prince, 66, 250 


Jacks, Mr., and Common Council of 


, Sir Richard Colt, 205 ; " On British 


London, 174, 175 


Antiquities in Wiltshire," 205 ; Stone- 


Jackson, John, R.A., 23 1 


henge, 205, 276 


, Miss (Madame Bianchi), 234/1 


Hodges, Mr., of Bath, 51, 70, 266 


, WilUam (Musician^ 182, 193 and » 

Jeffery, Richard (Seaman), 9, 115, 159, 160 


Hogarth's " Sigismunda," 267 


Holbeck, Major, 223 


Jennings, Miss, 165 


, William (of Farnborough), 1 57, 223 


, Mr., of Bath, 270 


VOL, VI, 


19 



290 



The Farington Diary 



Job, Zephaniah, ii6, 117 

Johnson, Dr. Samuel, and Whitefoord, 
7^., 107, 226, 277 

Jones, John Gale, 87 and «., 189 

Joubuthon, Madame, and Lucien Bona- 
parte, 236^ 

" Judgment of Paris," z^on 

Junot, Marshal, 149 

Kaiserman (Swiss Artist), 166 
Kauflfman, Angelica, R.A., 10 
Keates, Sir Richard, Admiral, 92 
Kelgwin, Rev. James Jenkin, 142 
Kemble, John P., on artists, 28 ; manager 

of Covent Garden Theatre, 48, 80, 

86, 228, 235, 241, 260, 277 
Kent, Duke of, and Duke of York, 71, 264 
Kenyon, Lord George, 159 
Keppel, Admiral, 163 

, Rev. Dr. (Bishop of Exeter), 163 

Kerry, Earl of, 51 

King, Miss, 278 

" King's Painter" and Lawrence, 251 

Kinnaird, Lord, 240W 

KIrtley, Ralph, 258 

Knapton, William, assaulted by Lieut. 

Wolstenholme, 15 
Knight, R. Payne, 20, 22, 70, 145, 225, 240 

and n., 243, 258, 278 
Knights of the Garter, entertained by 

Prince of Wales, 49 

Lake, Hon., Captain of H.M.S. Ulysses, 8 ; 

court martial, 8 ; dismissed the ser- 
vice, 9 and n., 115, 159 

, Viscount Gerard, 9M 

Lambert, Mr. (Printer of The Morning 

Chronicle), 16 
Lamb's Conduit Street, loi 
Lambton, Miss Fanny, 78 

, Mr., of Durham, 75, 78 

Land, Mr. (London Inn, Exeter), 155 
Landseer, John, A.R.A., 42, 64, 98, 225, 242, 

268 
Lane, John Bryant, 1 19 and n. ; " The 

Vision of Joseph," ii^n., 218, 269, 

255, 262, 270 
Langley, Rev. J., 162 
Lansdowne, Marquess of, and Lord Rad- 

stock's sale, 60 ; debate on Spanish 

business, 66, 67, 97 
Latham, Dr., 235 

Lavlngton, Rev. Dr. (Bishop of Exeter), 163 
Lawrence, Sir T., 6, 18, 22, 28, 29, 33, 

39> 41, 42, 43, 44, 47, 48, 51, S^ 5 
and Lord Mulgrave, 56, 65, 66, 73, 
84, 87, 91, 105, 161, 204, 218, 225, 
2|o, 241, 245, 248,, 250, 251, 256, 257, 



Lawrence, Sir T. — continued. 

258, 260, 262 ; supremacy of, 263, 
264, 265 ; his prices raised, 267, 270, 

Leakey, James (Miniature Painter), 178 

and «., 180, 183, 192, 197, 200 
Le Blanc, Mr. Justice, 87 
Lecke, Dr., 142 
Leeds, Duke of, 126 
" Exhibition of the Northern 

Society" opened, 61 
Lefanu, Mrs. (sister to R. B. Sheridan), 249 
Leicester, Sir John Fleming, 5th Baronet, 

214 ; and Miss Cottin, 214K. ; and 

Owen, 218, 228 
Leigh and Sotheby, (Booksellers), 241 
, Lleut.-Col. of loth Dragoons, and 

Prince of Wales, 55-56 
Lelyveldt, Mr. (Dutch Ambassador), on 

Bonaparte, 279 
Lempriere, Dr. John (Exeter Free Grammar 

School), 189 and n. ; and Meeth, 

Devonshire, 189K. ; Bibliotheca 

Classica, 189 ; Universal Biography, 

189, 196 
Lennard, Mr. Henry Barrett, 255« 
Leonard, Lady Barrett, 250 

, Mr. Thomas (son of Sir Thomas), 138 

, Sir Thomas Dacre, 126 and n 

Lethbrldge, Mr., M.P., on Sir Francis 

Burdett, 34 
Lind, Mr. (Surgeon), 63, 64, 73 
Lister, Thomas, 2nd Baron Ribblesdale, 

248 and n 
Liverpool Academy, initiation of, 227 

Art Exhibition proposed, 61 

Theatre, riot at, against prices, 189 

Lloyd, Mrs. (Academician), 208 

, Mrs., R.A., 10 

Lock, Charles, 205 

, Rev. George, 205 

Locke, Mr. William (of Norbury Park), 52, 

74, 84, 105, 164, 205, 266, 268 
Londonderry, Lady, 37 
Long, Charles, 70, 71, 82 

, Mr. B. S., 255« 

Longman and Co. (Publishers), 32 
Lonsdale, Lord, and R. Smirke, 27, 71, 97 ; 

and Prince of Wales, 216, 251, 270, 271 
Looe Island, 1 14 

Pool, 123, 125 

" Lot and his Daughters leaving Sodom," 

24o« 
" Louisa, Queen of Prussia," by Stroehling, 

75« 
Loutherburgh, P. J., R.A., 84, 105, 183 
Lowtheij Lady Mary, 203 and «., 270, 274 



Index 291 


Luke, Dr. John, 138 


Milner, Dr. (Dean of CarUsle), 258 


Luscombe, Mr. (Surgeon and Apothecary), 


Milton, John, 36, 85 


176, 179, 192, 196, 199 


Ministry of all the talents, 65^ 


Lydiard, Capt. of the Anson frigate, 123 


Minto, Gilbert EUiot, ist Earl of, loi and n 


Lysons, Rev. Daniel, 62, 208, 268 


Moel Famma, Jubilee Column at, 1 59 


, Samuel, 9, 11, 14, 23, 32, 41, 62, 85, 


Mogador, Barbary, 127, 128, 132 


87, 164, 209, 233, 235, 239,244,268, 278 


Moira, Lord, 89 


Lyttleton, Hon. Mr., 40 


MoHneaux, Tom (American nigger boxer), 


, Lord, of Hagley, 222, 225 


and Cribb, 21 1« 




Mondego River, battle on the, 149, 151 


Macaulay, Lord, 65M 


Monro, Dr., 22, 222 


, Mrs. (Catherine Sawbridge), 23 8k. ; 


Moore, Charles (Auditor of public ac- 


and Dr. Johnson, 238^ 


counts), 179 ; remarkable mimic, 180 


Mackenzie, John (of Bishopsgate Street),237 


, James, 35 


, Mr. (son of John Mackenzie), 236 


, Sir John, 34, 35, 70 


and n 


More, Jacob (Landscape Painter), 144 


Mackintosh, Captain, 3 


Morland, George, 75M 


Macklin's Bible, 55 


Morning Chronicle, indicted for hbel 


" Macpherson the Poet," 54« 


against the Iving, 16-17 


Magna Britannia, 9, 267 


Morning Post, The, 7, 8, 29, 44 ; and 


Malone, Edmund, 107 ; and Windham, 107 


Dubost's Exhibition, 74«., 88, \^6n., 


Malthus, Mr., on population progress, 175 


\%zn., 215, 217 


" Man dancing with Child's Cap on," by 


Mortimer, Mr. (Picture Dealer), 29, 54 


Wilkie, 89 


Morton, Mr. (of Exeter), 273 


Mann, Sir Horace, 181 and «., 183 


Moulsey Hurst, Hampton Court, 88 


Manners-Sutton, Dr. (Archbishop of Can- 


Mount Edgecumbe, 2nd Earl of, no 


terbury), 131 


" Mrs. T. Hope and Son," by Dubost, 75« 


Marchant, Nathaniel, R.A., 65K., 78, 242 


Mulgrave, Lord, 17, 35 ; and Lawrence, 


Markham, William (of Becca Hall), 157 and « 


56 ; and Haydon, 59, 231 


Marshalsea Prison, 87 


, Lord, expenses at Admiralty, 60, 252 


Marazion, 126, 127 




Maskelyne, Dr. (King's Astronomer), 239 




Masquerier (Portrait Painter), 168 


Nabob, Vizier of Oude, 70 


Massachio, i8i« 


Napoleon L, unites Roman State to 


Massena, Marshal, 149, 161, 196, 197, 249 


France, 19 ; and Mr. Gore, 31 ; and 


Matthew, Dr., and St. James's Volunteers,37 


Spain, 71; and artists, 77; and 


,_Rev. Mr., 37 


invasion of England, 92 


Mauritius, capture of, 242 


Nash, John (Architect), 249 and n. ; of 


Mazarin Bible, first edition, i6n 


Stucco fame, 249W 


McArthur, Mr., and Life of Nelson, 209 


National Debt, reduction of, 13 


Mead, Col. (from Portugal), 260 


Gallery, 8ik., 240^., 267 


Medland, Mr., 32 


" Nelly O'Brien," by Sir J. Reynolds, 54^ 


, Thomas (Engraver), 25 


" Nesbitt, Mrs," portrait of, 54« 


Melcombe, Lord (Bubb Doddington), 142 


Newcome, Mr. (Curate of St. Sidwell's, 


Melville, Lord, and George HI., 48 ; 


Exeter), 161, 163, 164 


portrait of, 92 


Newton, F. M., 20 


" Mercury and Herse," by Turner, 279 


Nicholson, Mr. (Chemist), 1 5 


Metcalfe, Philip, 71 and «., 72 


Nixon, James, A.R.A., 9 


Meyer, Henry (Hoppner's nephew), 4 


Nolan, Mr., and his 73 children, 15 


Middiman, Samuel (Engraver), 49, 269 


NoUekens, Joseph, R.A., 10, 11, 34, 78, 208, 


Miles, Sir P., 77« 


230, 242, 252 


Millar (Bookseller, of Bond Street), 205 


, Mrs., 79 


, Dr. (of Exeter), 195, 199 


Norman Cross, Hampshire, 83 


Miller, William (Pubhsher), 55 


Normanton, Charles, ist Earl of, 98 


Milman, Sir F., 38 


North, Hon. Frederick, 62 


Milne, Robert (Architect), 21 ; and the New 


Northcote, James, R.A., 80, 81, 83, 139, 


River, 21 ; Blackfriars Bridge, 268, 272 


214, 228, 235, 277 



292 The Farington Diary 


Noverre (Ballet Master, Opera House, 


Percival, Spencer (Chancellor of the Ex- 


London), death of, 1 52 


chequer), 51 ; and Sir Francis Burdett, 


Nowell, Mr., of Read, Lanes., 165 


52 ; on New Loan, 60, yj, 204, 209, 


Nymphe The, Frigate, run aground, 215 


210, 221 




Perry, James, of The Morning Chronicle, 




16; his life, I 6m. 5 and the Mazarin 


Oakes, General (Governor of Malta), 233 


Bible, i6«., 264 


Offley, Charles, 28, 257 


, Mr. (owner of Blackwall Docks), 97 


, John, 99, 100, 186, 215, 216, 221 


" Peter the Great of Russia," by Stroehling, 


■ 3 Mrs., 99, 100, loi 


75« 


Place, 88 


Pettiward, Miss Mary, 268 


, William (of Holies Street),2o8,2i 1,238 


Philips, Sir Richard (Bookseller), 105, 164 


, WiUiam, Mrs., 209 


— -, Surgeon, 63, 274 


Oliver, Archer James, 237, 263 


Phillips, Thomas, R.A., 41, 42, 50, 219, 228 


Opera House, Covent Garden, 202 


Phipps, Hon. A., 35 


Opie, John, R.A., portrait of Dr. Glass, 200 ; 


Pitford, Mr., 32 


and Mr. Patch (Surgeon), 200, 255, 277 


Pitt, William, 135, 138, 141 


Opium Chewing by Turks, 1 5 


Pocock, Nicholas (Water Colour Painter), 14 


Orleans, Duke of, 191 


and« 


Orme, Mr. (Publisher), 5 1 


Pole, Wellesley, 13 


Oude, Vizier of, 70 


Polperro, 114, 115 


Owen, William, R.A., 4, 42, 50, 215, 218, 


Polperrow, south view of, 27 


228, 234, 243, 278 


Pope, Dr., 38 


Oxford, Lady, 44 


Porchester, Lord, 181 




Porteous, Dr. (Bishop of London), 178 




Porter, Walsh (Gentleman Dealer), 25 


Paine, James (Architect and Artist), 235 


and «., 26, 39, 44 


andn 


Portland, William Henry, 3rd Duke of. 


, Mr. (Bookseller), 209 


I42_ 


Pakenham, Sir E., 3« 


" Portrait of a Boy," 54« 


Palk, Sir Lawrence, 146 


Portugal, position of Wellington in, 249 


Pallas, The, Frigate, run aground, 215 


Street, Mayfair, 98 


Palmer, Major, of loth Dragoons, 55-56 


Powderham Castle, no 


, Mr. (of Holme Park, Reading), 223 


Price, R., 32 


, Richard (of Sonning), 156 and « 


Prado, formation of, 2 and » 


Paoli, Pasquale de, General, 140 and « 


" Preparation for a Horse Race," by Dubost, 


Paper Credit and Bankruptcies, 213 


75« 


Parker, Mr. (of Brownsholme), 214 


Price, Sir Uvedale, 20 


Parr, Dr. (Physician, of Exeter), 187 


Prince of Wales, 25, 39, 48 ; entertains 


Passmore, Mr., at British Institution, 188 


Knights of the Garter, 49, 70, 75«., 


and n 


89; grown large, 106, 159; and the 


Patch, James (Apothecary), 185 


Regency, 210 and «., 216; and 


, Mr. (Surgeon, father of Rev. Mr.), 184 


Methodism, 225 ; levee of, 244 ; and 


, Rev. Mr., 177, 178, 180, 181, 183, 


Marchioness of Hertford, 250 ; at 


189, 191, 200 


Royal Academy, 264 


, Thomas (Artist), 181 and n., 183, 191 


Henry of Prussia, 139 


Patterson, Mrs. Jerome, and Napoleon I., 


Leopold of Brunswick, 139 


245 and 246« 


Princess of Wales, 44 ; and lost packet of 


Pearce, William (Clerk at the Admiralty), 


letters, 44 ; and FuseU, 84, 204 


182 and n 


Proby, Col. J. D., i6» 


Peele's Coffee House, Fleet Street, 270 


Proctor, Lieut., 159 


Pelham, Hon. Dr. Bishop, 162 


Public Advertiser, The, 86 


Pemberton, Dr., 201, 228 


Pybus, Charles Small, 91, 243 


Penas, General (Spanish Commander), 252 




Penrice, John (of Great Yarmouth, col- 


Quakers in America, 246 


lector), 240 and n 


Quarterly Review, The, 35 ; and Nash, 250K 


Penshurst Church, 96 


Queen Charlotte^ The, launch of, 91 



/ 
Index 293 


Queensberry, Duke of, 218 


Ruysdael, 84, 180 


Quiller-Couch, Sir A., ii5« 


Ruythson (Teacher of Drawing), 143 


Radstock, Lord, and Marquess of Lans- 


Sadler, Mr. (Aeronaut), at Oxford, 88 


downe, 60 


St. Alban's Tavern, 4 


Randall, Mr. (Shipbuilder), 97 


St. Aubyn, Sir John, 5th Baronet, 126 and 


Rashleigh, Mr., 118 


«., 135, 255 and n 


Rawlinson, Miss, 215 


" St. Cecilia," by Domenichino, 25 1« 


Redhead, Henry, 143 and n 


St. Davids, Bishop of, 89 


Red Lion, The, Clarges Street, 48 


St. James's Chapel, Tottenham Court 


Reeves, Mr. (Priest), 149 


Road, 10, 24, 37, 63, 71, 76,, 89, 102, 


Reinagle, Mrs. Ramsay, 263 


215, 255, 270 


, Philip, R.A., 231, 248, 263 and n 


St, James's Chronicle^ 270 


, Ramsay, 263, 270 


St. Levan, Baron, 255/1 


Rembrandt, 240 


St. Margaret's Church, Westminster, 38 


Rendlesham, Frederick William Brook 


St. Nicholas's Church, Liverpool, accident 


Thellusson, 4th Lord, 233M 


at, II 


, Lady, 1 1 and n 


St. Pancras Church, 62, 252 


, Lord, 1 1 and n 


St. Paul's Cathedral, robbery of church 


, Peter Isaac, ist Baron Rendlesham, 


service plate, 217 ; surveyor of, 268 


23 3 « 


St. Sidwell's Church, Exeter, 161 


Reni, Guido, 240« 


SaHsbury, Bishop of, 37, 63, 66, 109, 252 


Repton, Humphry (Landscape Gardener), 


Salt, Henry (Explorer), 259 


96 


Salusbury, Mrs. (of Russell Street, aunt of 


Reynolds (Engraver), 95, 97 


Sir Robert), 52, loi 


, Henry R., M.D., 26, 99, 100, loi and 


, Robert (third officer of Ihe Retreat^ 


«., 201, 208, 209 


East Indiaman), 10 1 and « 


, Miss (daughter of Dr. Reynolds), 


, Sir Robert, moves to commit Sir 


211 


Francis Burdett, 34, 51, 52; and 


, Sir Joshua, 8 ; and the Duke of 


Methodists in Wales, 88 


Devonshire, 52, 74, 80, I56«., i8i«., 


Sandby, Paul, R.A., lOj 163, 266 


i35«., 255« 


, Thomas, 266 


Richards, John I., R.A., 12, 20 


Sandys, Rev. Sampson (of Landewednick), 


Rigaud, J. R., R.A., 47 


144 and n 


Ritson — , jj 


Satellite^ H.M.S,, lost in a gale, 221 


Rivers, Sir Peter (of Bath), 1 1 


Saville, Albany, 168 and w., 169 


Roberts, Sarah, Miss, 37, 38 


Sawbridge, Catherine (wife of Dr. George 


Rodney, G. B., ist Lord, 102, 250, 268 


Macaulay), 238« 


Rogers, John (of Penrose), 123 and «., 125 


Say, Wilham (Engraver), 29 and «. ; his 


, Mr. (of Southampton), 32 


history, 50 


, Mrs. (of Penrose, sister of Lord de 


Schaub, Miss, 52 


Dunstanville,) 125 


, Sir Luke, 52, 164 


, Rev. John (of Mawnan), 125, 138 


Scott, Sir Walter, 85 


, Samuel, 80, 84 


, Sir William, 69 and n 


Rome, " Roam," or " Room," 241 


Scott- Waring, Major, 80 and n 


Romilly, Sir Samuel, 42 


Scroope, Mr., 51 


Romney, Haley's Life of, 35 


Seville, Spain, 45 


Rose, George, M.P., 60 


Sharpe, William (Engraver), 64, 78, 104, 274 


, Mr. (of Chudleigh), 149, 153 


Shee, Sir M. Archer, R.A., 10, 18, 47, 50, 


Rosebery, Lord, 65« 


106, 264 


Rossi, John C. F., R.A., 34, 70, 102, 230, 


Sheldon, John (Surgeon, Professor of 


232, 242, 250, 259, 268, 271 


Anatomy), 182 


Rousseau, 141 


Sherborne Castle, 131 


Royal Academy Club, 42 


Sheridan, Richard B., 84, 249 


Rubens, Peter Paul, 82, 240 


Sherwood Lodge, Battersea, 274/1 


Russell, Jesse, M.P., 231 and n 


Siddons, Mrs., print by Say, 29, 51 ; acting 


, Mr. (Banker, Exeter), 166, 167 


ofj 94 



294 The Farington Diary 


Sidmouth, Henry Addington, Viscountj 


" Storming of Gibraltar, The," by Copley, 


137 and n 


104 


Simmons, Mr. (of Paddington), 7 


Stothard's" Procession to Canterbury,"77 ; 


Sinipson, Mr. (Apothecary), 235 


sketches for R. Burns' poems, 94, 276 


" Sinon before Priam," by Claude, 44 


Stowell, Baron, of Stowell Park, 6^n 


Sinclair, Miss, and Sir John Leicester, 214 


Strathmore, Countess of, m 


Skeffington, Sir Lumley St. George, 26 


Stroehling, P. E. and Mr. Lambton, 75 ; 


and n 


" Louisa, Queen of Prussia," and 


Smart, John, 10 


" Peter the Great of Russia," 75«, 78 


Smirke, Miss, 79 


Stuart, Herbert, Lord, 235 


, Richard, 12, 79 


" Stuart, Sir J.," portrait of, 54M 


, Robert, 6, 23, 27 ; and Lord Lons- 


Suffolk, Lord, 232 


dale, 27, 32, 34, 41, 42, 43, 48, 50, 


Sun, The, newspaper, 159 


54; 55^ 7o> 79» ^S? 88, 96 ; at Rose 


" Susannah and the Elders," 240M 


Hill, Sussex, 97 ; and W. Daniell, 


Sussex, Duke of, i6n 


103, 202, 203, 206, 211, 212, 215, 


Sweden, declaration of war on England, 


220, 221, 227, 233, 239, 244, 249, 


217 


. 25^5 2S5> 268, 271, 277 


, deposed PCing of, at Yarmouth, 180 


Smith, Clarendon (Engraver and Painter), 


Sybilo Temple at Tivoli, 2 1 


242 


Symonds, Mr., 41 


, Dr. Adam, on national wealth, 174 


Syria, sandstorm in the desert, 215 


■ , Rev. Sidney and S. Whitbread, 28 ; 




and Grand Fermentator, 28 


" Tabbins Hole," 138 


, Sir Charles CuUing, 259 and n 


Taylor, John, 8, 66, 80, 94, 224 


, Sir Sidney, 278 


, John (of Exeter), 168 and n 


, W. (of St. George's Row) (Hyde Park 


■ (of Sun office), 88, 235 


Place), 178 and « 


Tate Gallery, yjn 


, William, M.P., 84 


Thanet, Thomas Sackville, 9th Earl of. 


Soane, Sir John, R.A., criticisms of living 


214 and n 


artists, 6 ; and Royal Academy Coun- 


Thellusson, Frederick William Brook, 4th 


cil resolution, 6 ; depreciation of 


Lord Rendlesham, 23 3 w 


Robert Smirke, 6 5 and the Council, 


, Charles Sabine Augustus, 23 3 « 


18 ; and Dance, 21 ; Architectural 


, George Woodford, 233 and n 


Lectures notice, 60 ; deposed, 242, 


, Peter Isaac, ist Lord Rendlesham, 


.244,255)259,262 


233« 


Society of Antiquaries, 12, 41 


Thomond, Marchioness of, 107 


Sombrero, Isle of, gn 


Thomson, Henry, R.A., 4, 42, 50, 85, 106, 


Somerset, Duke of, 265 


237, 262 


Souk, N. J. de Dieu (Marshal of France), 


Thurlow, Bishop, 216 


221 ; defeated at Albuera, 278 


Titian, 82 


Spanish eulogium of King George IIL, 218 


Toemezzani, 79 


Spence, Mr. (of Keswick), 271 


Tomkins (Writing Master), 90 


Spencer, Gervase (Miniature Painter), 10 


Tonkin, Thomas, I35« 


Spicer, Mrs., 79 


Tooke, Home, " On the structure of 


Stafford, Marquis of, 232, 234, 265, 271 


Language," 226 ; and Dr. Johnson's 


Stamford, Lady, 274 


Dictionary, 226 


Steers, Charles, 54 


Tower Hill, assembly for Sir F. Burdett, 73 


— , J- W., 54 


Towne, Francis, 177 


Steevens, Rev. Mr., at St. James's Chapel, 


Traies, William, 188 and n., 195, 199 


102, 215 


Trelawny, Sir Harry, 6th Baronet, 1 14 


Stephens, John, of St. Ives, 138 and n. ; 


Tremayne, John Hearle, M.P., 118 


elected M.P., 139 


Tresham, Henry, R.A., 93 


Stewart, General (brother to Lord Castle- 


"Trevathy Stone, The," 113 


reagh,) 241, 246, 247 ; on Spanish 


Troward, Mr. (Solicitor), 51 and «., 277, 


and Portuguese people, 249 ; and 


278 


Lawrence, 250 


Tucker, Mr. (Master Attendant at Ply- 


Stokesj Mr. (Stockbroker), 208 


mouth Dock), 112 



Index 295 


Tucker, Mr. (Prince of Wales's Surveyor 


Watts, Miss (daughter of David Pike Watts), 


for Cornwall), 153 


231 


Tull, N. (Landscape Painter), 180 and n 


Webber, Charles, at Oporto, 221 


Turner, J. M. W., R.A., 8im., 105, 225 


Wellesley, Countess of {nee Paterson), 258^ 


230^ 234, 242, 262, 263, 265, 279 


, Countess of {nee Roland), 258« 


, Mr. (of Exeter), 196 


, Richard, ist Marquess of, 66., 258 


Turner's Gallery, 66 


and n 


Turner elli, Peter (Sculptor), 167 


Wellington, Duke of, and his pension, 13, 


Tyers, Jonathan (of Vauxhall Gardens), 32 


149, 151 ; on Portuguese troops, 152, 


Tyrconnel, Lord, 203 


161, 208, 241 




Wells, Admiral, 51, 95 


" Universal Biography," by Lempriere, 


, John, 51, 95, 97 ; and Mr. Anger- 


189 


stein, 98 




, Miss B. (Portugal Street, Mayfair), 98 


Vaccination, Cornish prejudice against, 


■ — — , Miss (sister of William Wells), 241 


^52 . . ^ 


, William, 11, 14, 29, 31, 51, 97, 241, 


Vanbrugh, Sir John (Architect), 82 and n 


^51 . . 


Vanity Fair, ji,n 


West, Benjamin, on Whitefoord, 7, 33, 


Varley, John (Water Colour Painter), 149 


34-35^ 42, 47, 7I5 77, 81, 89 ; pamphlet 


and «., 180 


on the Arts, 90 ; and Wyatt, 93, 


" Venus and Cupid," by Cosway, 71 


105, 106, 234, 243 ; and Soane, 244, 


Vernet, Claude Joseph, 183 and «., 191 


248 ; " Lot and his Daughters retiring 


Victor, Marshall, in Spain, 252 


from Sodom," 248, 249, 252, 258, 263, 


Vienne, Jean P. G., 77« 


265, 275 


" View in Westphalia, A," by Hobbema, 


, Ralph (son of Benjamin), 93 


29K 


Westall, William, R.A., blackballed, 14 ; 


" View of Hyde Park," by Dubost, 75K 


and " Christ receiving the Little 


" Village Choristers," by E. Bird, 89 


Children," 24 ; and " A Grecian 


Vinicombe, Juliana (wife of Sir John St. 


Marriage Procession," 24, 34, 60, 


Aubyn), 25 5M 


65, 106, 206, 209, 218, 258, 263, 265, 


" Virgin and Child," by Van Eyck, 277K 


278 


Vivares (Engraver), 180 and n 


Westbourne Green, Paddington, 32 


Voltaire, 141 


Westmacott, Sir Richard, 34, 70, 202, 229, 




23I) 239, 271 


Wagram, battle of, 207 


Westminster Hall, 87 


Walker, Rev. Robert, 118 


Weston, Dr. (Bishop of Exeter), 163 


Wall, Mr. (son-in-law to Sir F. Baring), 83 


, Rev. Stephen, F.S.A., 163 


Walpole, Horace, jn, 181K, 27 1» 


Whitbread, S., M.P., and Sidney Smith, 


Ward, E. Matthew, R.A., 75^ 


28 ; and Landseer, 64, 83, 116 and n 


, George Raphael (Engraver), 75/1 


White Horse Cellar, Piccadilly, 200 


, James, 14, 50, 70, 75 and «., 94, 


, Mr. (Bookseller, Fleet Street), 22 


103, 104, 202, 206, 2i8,_ 237, 238, 239, 


Seat, no 


248, 257 ; his prices raised for horses, 


Whitefoord, Caleb, death of, 7 ; and Cross 


76 


Readings, 7 and n. ; his will, 8 ; and 


, Leslie (" Spy "), 75« 


Goldsmith's " RetaHation," 8 ; his 


, William (Engraver), 75« 


legitimacy, jn ; small fortune, 1 1 ; 


Waring, Major Scott-, 80 and n 


cause of death, 26 ; sale of his collec- 


Warren, Sir John, 159 


tion, 54 and n 


Water Colour Painting Society, Spring 


, Mrs., 8 


Gardens, 14 


Wigram, Sir Robert, 97-98 


Watson, Captain Joshua Rowley, R.N., 191, 


Wilberforce, William, 13 


192 and n 


Wilbraham, Rev. Mr. (Rector of Falmouth), 


, Dr. (Bishop of LlandafI), 178 


'"^5 , . 


, G. Burges, Captain R.N., 192K 


Wilkie, Sir D., R.A., 17, 27, 42; and Sir 


Watt, James, 23K 


G. Beaumont, 56, 59, 66, 70, 89, 202, 


Watts, David Pike (uncle to Constable), 


206, 218, 237, 239, 262 


231, 233, 250, 254 


Williams and Co, (of Liverpool), 213 



296 



The Farington Diary 



Williams, T. H. (Artist at Exeter), i68, 177 

Williamson, Dr., and Ozias Humphry, 7o« 

• , Samuel, 227 

Willoughby, Captain, badly wounded, 203 

Willis, John, Dr., on insanity, 177 and « 

Wills, Francis (Agent to John Rogers), 125 

Wilson, Lestock, 213, 242, 279 

, Richard, R.A., 74, 156, 165, 249 

Windham, Mrs. WilHam, 66 

"Windham Papers," 6^n 

Windham, The (East Indiaman), captured 
by French, 202, 203 

Windham, William, M.P., 13 ; and Par- 
liamentary reporters, 28, 29 and n.; 
indisposition of, 62, 63 ; reported 
dying, 64 ; death of, 65 ; record of, 
65«., 69, 84, 88, 107 

Windsor Castle, Marlborough Tower 
decorations by Wyatt, Junior, 93 

Windsor Castle, The, 63 

Wintringham, Lady, 84 

Wodehouse, 2nd Baron, 145 

Wolff and Dorvllle, 274K 

, George (father of Jens), 274« 

, Jens, 274 and n 

Wolstenholme Lieut., indicted for assault, 
IS 



Woodforde, Samuel, R.A., 33, 43, 50, 

20S> 263, 276 
Woodgate, Miss (Mrs. R. Allnutt), 95, 96 

, Stephen (of Sevenoaks), 95 

Woodward, WilHam (of Hampstead), and 

the Diarist, i46» 
WooUaston, Dr., and periscopic spectacles, 

15 
Woollcombe, Dr. (of Exeter), 199 
Woollett, WilHam, " The Cottagers," by, 

Wordsworth, WilHam, 36, 209 
Wyatt, James, R.A., 93, 219 

, Matthew, 93 

Wyndham, Lady Ann, 78 



Yard, Mr. (Apothecary), 147, 148, 149, 152 
Yenn, John, R.A., 12, 18, 67, 220, 242 
York, Duke of, and Duke of Kent, 71 ; 

and Dubost's exhibition, 75K., 264 
Yorke, Henry Redhead, I43« 

, Mr., M.P., 60 

Young, Mr. (Surgeon), 28 



ZoFFANY, Johan, R.A., 177 and «., 208 



Printedlat The Chaj^el River Press, Kingston, Surrey. 



THE 

FARINGTON 

DIARY 

JANUARY 13, 1810, TO 
JUNE 9, 1811 

BY 

JOSEPH 

FARINGTON, R. A. 



Edited hy 
JAMES GREIG